


Trouble comes-a runnin’

by noisykid



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Anal Sex, First Time, First Time Blow Jobs, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Scout is a little shit, The Engineer Has the Patience of A Saint
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-02-11 14:00:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 53,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12936780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noisykid/pseuds/noisykid
Summary: Scout is offensive, crass at the best of times, and admittedly homophobic. Engineer is quiet, polite (most’a the time), and un-admittedly “that way inclined”. But one night while drinking together, Scout inexplicably propositions the Engineer, who can’t figure out what the hell he’s playin’ at. Or why Scout keeps coming back after the fact.A long fic detailing the relationship developing between Scout/Engineer (and sex).





	1. Here was a man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scout is generally offensive and yet is rewarded with a handjob.

“Yo, Hardhat!”

The Engineer didn't know whether he'd just been that immersed in his work or if the kid had really slipped in so quietly, but at Scout's barking voice so close to his ear, the Engineer jerked upright, whipping around so quickly that he near about fell right off his work bench.

“Shit, son!! I thought you were a dang ol' _Spah!_ ” Irritation knitted at his brow but he sighed – this was certainly a better option. Right? … hm, maybe that was debatable.

Joining up with Builders League United had been for practicality’s sake at first. Follow in his both his pappy and grandpappy’s footsteps, honour their memory... Somethin' like that, anyway. He was fighting in a war, of sorts, sure. But he mostly got to build things and then fix them up when they broke (or as the case were, got broke), which suited him fine. If he were bein’ honest, he couldn’t imagine even wanting to do anything else. Others had come to fight too; the Engineer mostly kept to himself although he got along with the rest of ‘em well enough when they did interact… save one.

The Scout standing in front of him just laughed and glanced over the Engineer's shoulder, taking a look at the blueprints he'd laid out there and was _carefully_ working on before the kid had so graciously interrupted him.

“Oh, ya know, gracin' you with my presence.” The Scout flashed a toothy grin at him and folded his arms behind his head, “Cus I figured. Well, hey. Engie's probably gotta be pretty bored around here without me to ya know, entertain him and stuff. I'm definitely better than whatever ya got yerself doin'. Talk about freakin' bor-ing.”

“Nothin' borin' about it, kid,” the Engineer huffed, tipping the edge of his hardhat up with a thumb before he gave the blueprints sprawled over his worktable a fond pat. “Might not be too amusin' to you, what with the short attention span 'n all, but I happen to be good 'n entertained. _Thank_ ya.”

He grunted and shifted properly on his bench again, then took up his pencil and went about erasing the long streak he'd apparently made across the paper when he'd jumped.

“Yeah, whatever,” having apparently taken none of the Engineer's words about short attention spans to heart, Scout snorted and moved to lean against the desk beside him, “Don't pretend like you ain't excited to see me cus I know you're freakin' thrilled.”

And when Engineer didn't respond immediately, he restlessly shifted from toe to toe before plucking a pencil up off the work bench and rolling it between his fingers. “So, uh. What are you doin' anyway?”

Engineer was more than ready to just ignore the boy but it didn't seem like it was going to work, what with his having the social skills of a blunt force object. And so he sat back, heaving a sigh and tugging his goggles down to hang at his neck.

“M'workin' on some ideas fer a new dispenser unit. Well, more'a a hybrid. I wanna top it with a miniature sentry t'help protect it a lil' better.”

However halfway through this explanation, Engineer could already tell Scout had lost interest, flicking the pencil between his forefinger and thumb and nodding, but not really at anything the Engineer was saying.

“No, see. _Here's_ what you do.” The Scout started, barely letting Engineer get the last word out. He bent over the older man, resting one hand on his shoulder and using the other hand with the pencil in it to point at random, irrelevant parts of the blueprint stretched out in front of them, “You like, make one a dem dispensers, right? But instead of dispensing medicine or whatever crap, you turn it onto one a’those ball dispensers so then all the guys can like, go out and play baseball! Freakin' genius, right? Yeah. I know.”

At first he was willing to at least humour the Scout's idea but... as the idea actually came, he quickly changed his mind. Nevertheless, it got a small chuckle out of him. “Ah, yeah... I think that's gonna be a no-go, String Bean. I doubt our employers're gonna fine fer an automatic pitcher.” But... hell, just to end it on a nice note, he gave the kid a smile. “Ain't a bad idea, though.”

Scout rolled his eyes, obviously not believing that anyone could ever say no to an idea that had anything to do with baseball, “Yeah, whatever. Figures you chuckleheads wouldn't understand my genius... uh, ness, anyway. Bunch a’losers at admin. Probably wouldn't know a good idea if it hit 'em in the face. But anyway, it sure would’a made all this downtime a whole lot more interestin'.”

“If you jus' want someone t'throw the ol' ball around, why not jus' ask? Plenny'a space outside fer a game 'r two, of course.” Well, he was asking this-- but he knew the answers. Even if baseball did seem like a fun way to spend the evening, having the Scout pester you about it would kill the allure real quick like.

“Nah, none of you guys could keep up with me anyway.” He grinned again, stretching his arms up into a rather, if Engineer did say so himself, pitiful display of muscle. “Not that I guess I'd say no, I mean, if someone would ask. Rest a' dem guys, they ain't got no time. 'Oh no Scout, I'm too busy pullin’ spines out and doing crazy nazi stuff with fatty', 'Oh no, Scout, I have to go, like, piss in the peanut butter jar that you were just using five freakin' minutes ago and throw it at some spooks.' Seriously. Fuck 'em. I don't need 'em, right? But I mean, tossin' a ball around by myself... sucks. Boring as hell, ya know?”

“Guess I c'n see yer point,” Engineer muttered, grunting under his breath as he got to his feet and carefully closed all of his textbooks, the blueprint gingerly rolled up and tucked away afterward. He supposed it was time to take a break anyway. Give his eyes a rest from all that careful squinting. “But sometimes we gotta jus' make with what we got, son. Ain't your momma tell you about makin' lemonade?”

“Er, don’t keep giving it away for free?” Scout flicked the pencil he'd been toying with back onto the table, not seeming to mind the fact that it left light, carbon scratches where it bounced across the wooden surface.

“Wait, so ya really gonna come and hang with me? You know, not that I give two fucks either way but... well... Good. About freakin' time youse guys had some actual fun.” 

Which, Engineer also figured, was probably as close to a thank-you as he was going to get. Ever. And just wait a damn minute, he never said anything of the sort.

“...uh, now son, I didn't say nothin' about spendin' any time w-” …The Engineer quickly paused to survey his options. Despite the sass in the kid's voice, he almost seemed-- hell, hopeful. Ah, damnit, Engineer gave a light sigh, thrusting his hands into his pockets. “Yeaaa', I s'pose so. Wha'da ya wanna do, String Bean?”

“Yessssssss.” Scout grinned, looking more excited than he was before, if that was even possible. “Fuckin' whatever, man. It's still early, right? We could go runnin' or like, play catch, or trade baseball cards – oh man, you should see my frickin' Jay Ritchie card, it's got his freakin' autograph. Can you buh-lieve it? My brother gave it to me for my birthday like, a couple a' years back. Uh, but...” 

He gave the Engineer a once over, “What do guys like you do anyway when you ain't messin' around with ya drawings?”

“Well...” The Engineer had to think about that as he walked beside the hyperactive American, clicking his tongue with thought. He certainly wasn't into doing anything like running, that was for damn sure. “S'pose when I got some time t'myself I jus' sit around with my guitar 'n a cold beer.” But the Scout wasn't the right age for liquor – probably legally, but he could just imagine how much of a light-weight he would be.

“Oh, yeah. Me too.” Scout replied, nodding as if he'd done that kind of thing all his life, “Not the guitar bit but I mean, _you_ could do that and I could like, watch or you could teach me and then we could have, ya know, a beer. Cus you know, me and my buddy Frank back home, that's you know, basically all we ever did, basically, yeah. Like, just sittin' around having beers like, ya know. No big deal.” Which Engineer had a hard time finding as true.

He chuckled and clapped a hand on the younger man's back, leading him out through the back exit of the base. He had everything he needed in his cargo truck near his usual outdoor campsite. “If y'say so, son.”

“Yeah, I do say so. And ya know, I know best, right?”

“S’what ya tell us, anyway.” Nudging the door open for them both, he took a deep breath in the cool, evening air. “But I gotta tell ya boy, I don't drink the light stuff. Maybe ya'd do better with some uh... juice 'r somethin'.”

Scout clicked his tongue in disapproval, stepping outside past the older man. “What am I, ten? C'mon man, I can take it. I ain't no pansy if that's what ya thinkin'. Trust me. I used to drink that kinda crap all the time.” The boy stretched out, apparently thankful to be outside, and walked off on ahead.

The Texan just shook his head with amusement and continued on, giving a whistle to catch the boy's attention when he ducked behind his truck. “O'er here, partner.” He kept an icebox out there, for when he needed some time alone, as well as his trusty guitar.

“Oh, yeah. Right. Yeah, I was just takin' the, uh scenic route.” Scout scurried back on over to the Engineer, moving then to lean against the truck, crossing his arms over his chest in some kind of misguided attempt at looking aloof or cool but doing neither. “C'mon, man. Hurry it up.”

“A'ight, a'ight,” he grumbled, fishing out two cold beers and hesitantly passing one to the boy. He might regret this later but... hell, he weren't his momma – though speakin' of which, “Don't go tellin' anyone I gave ya liquor, alright? Don't want yer Ma tannin' my hide over it.”

The boy just laughed, flicking a tongue over one of his incisors as he took the beer, “Geez, man. Stop getting ya panties in a twist. It's not like I'm freakin' fifteen or somethin'. Sides, I been drinkin' for ages. My Ma ain't gonna say shit.” Scout rambled on, meanwhile twisting the bottle cap open, giving it a brief look before raising it to his lips.

And then he spluttered, much to the Engineer's amusement, spilling some of it down his front while he forced down at least half a mouthful. He took a gulp of air when he was finished swallowing and stared over at the Engineer, 

“Christ. The fuck do you crazy Texans put in this shit? It tastes like freakin' ass.”

Engineer took an easy swig of the beer, sighing and opening the bed of the truck so he could sit down on it. “ 'n... you'd know what that tastes like, huh.” he smirked, eyeing the boy humorously.

“W-what. _No_. Christ. I was just... _saying._ ”

Now it might've been the light, or the lack of it, but it sure did look like the Scout's cheeks were mighty red at this moment. Scout lifted the beer to his mouth again. The second sip went down better and while he choked and winced at the taste, he at least didn't waste any more by spilling it about.

“Just freakin'... whatever. See. I ain't that bad. It was just uh, real cold, so then I was like “woah”. Fuck you, anyway. You wouldn't know a damn thing.” He took another sip.

“Now slow down, son. No need t' drown it all at once.” He set his own bottle aside and then reached for his guitar, slipping the strap over his shoulder and idly going about the motions of checking the strings for tuning. “ 'n lemme tell ya, if you go passin' out, I'm leavin' ya out here.”

“Yeah, whatever. I ain't gonna pass out.” Scout continued to cradle his bottle, looking over at Engineer curiously for a moment before shifting closer to him, “Ya gonna play me a song there, hardhat? I’m freakin’ touched.” 

Laughing at his own joke, the Scout took another drink from the bottle in his hand. The Engineer just shook his head, smiling and leaning back against the side of the old truck while one foot idly swung. He started picking at the strings. 

“Your folks ever play t'Quiet Game? Reckon it might do you good from time t'time,” he teased, chuckling and pausing in his playing just long enough to reach over and pluck up the beer for another drink again.

Scout considered him a moment before taking another drink, licking his lips sloppily – an action that didn't go completely unnoticed by the Engineer. He supposed it was good that Scout wasn't wasting any now; might as well enjoy it while it lasted.

“Huh. Nah. Don't think so. Sounds boring. We didn't have to make do like you guys over in the cowboysville like a hundred million freakin' years ago. We had actual toys to play with.” He watched him a minute, tapping his fingers against the side of the truck before pulling himself up beside the Engineer.

“One day all that energy's gonna flood right outta ya, boy,” he murmured, setting the beer down before beginning to play again. His foot idly tapped as it hung from the back of the truck – were he a mite taller it wouldn't be hanging so damn high from the ground.

He watched the boy tug on his shirt, which was still wet from the mishap some minutes before. Another thing that did not slip past the Engineer’s notice.

“Ya just freakin' jealous you're all old and stuff and I got the uh, libido of, like a freakin' tiger or somethin'. Ya wish you could even have an ounce a' this fightin' spirit.” He snorted, looking down at the bottle in his hands which was now surprisingly empty. Well. That didn't take long.

“Hey, Hardhat. Runnin' a little dry over here.”

“Grab a 'nother, I s'pose, jus' go easy on it,” he muttered, glancing to his own bottle which wasn't even half empty yet. Oh yeah, this was turnin' into one sorry idea. However, he found himself snorting, albeit a little lately. 

“ 'n boy, you even know what a libido _is?_ ”

“Uh. Sure I do. It's like, uh, you know.” Scout hopped off the truck, his legs wobbling a little underneath him, “Woah.” 

He laughed, staring at himself a minute before making his way over to the icebox, taking another beer and unscrewing the lid. He tossed it somewhere before stumbling back over to the Engineer. 

“It's like a uh, thing. That you get. When you're young an, uh, fightin' and being awesome and stuff.”

“Well, I reckon that ain't exactly _wrong,_ ” he chuckled, though it wasn't exactly explaining the matter either. “Yer talkin' sexual desire there, son. S'what yer libido is.”

The boy seemed to go rigid. And then he laughed, a little too loudly, that light pink hue finding its way up his neck and onto his cheeks. “Oh yeah. UH. Uh. I mean, that too. Not that I'd tell ya about it ya frickin' perv.”

Engineer snorted with laughter, waving a hand back and forth. “Course not, course not.” though, even that wasn't true. He'd heard the String Bean boasting about his hoard of girlfriends and fans and... hell, everything. What didn't he tell them about?

Scout continued to laugh, apparently unable to stop himself, though that blush was still spread across his face. “Yeah, yeah. Well. I mean. Ya can probably already imagine anyway. I mean, I had girls freakin' lining up for me, man. Oh, you should'a seen it. I was the freakin' champ, ya get what I'm sayin'?”

Aah, there it was... Engineer just nodded to humour him, sliding his bare fingers along the frets while his gloved one continued to pluck at the strings. “I git what yer sayin'. M'sure you were _real_ popular with the gals.”

“You bettah believe it.” He lifted the beer to his lips, laughing when his hands wobbled, missing his mouth on the initial try, most of it now dribbling down his chin. “Can ya really blame 'em, though? I mean, come on, would you freakin' look at me? These chiselled abs? My rugged good looks? How could ya resist it? Probably why that damn frog-lovin' Spy gets a funny look in his eye when he looks at me sometimes. Fuckin' queer. Not that I can blame him. I am kind of a big deal, after all.”

“You got a problem with homosexuals, boy?” The Engineer asked slowly after a moment, crooking a brow at him and stopping his playing yet again.

He could hold his tongue, sure, but... maybe he ought'a finish his beer first. He tipped his head back and downed the bottle, cringing from the bite of it burning down his throat. Aah, the good stuff.

“What? Aside from the fact that they're a bunch a’no-good sissies?” Scout tossed the bottle from hand to hand before taking another swig. He was laughing, though he really _shouldn't_ have been. 

“It just ain't natural, man. I mean, do you really want some homo starin' at yer junk when ya in the shower? What if they get a frickin' boner or somethin'. No way, man.”

“Hm.” 

The Engineer clicked his tongue, watching the boy ramble on for a bit. He gave him his time to do so, and he also considered the fact that he was just about finished with that second beer, too. The pink tinge to Scout's cheeks had spread along his nose and ears as well now, and his gaze was slightly unfocused as he stared at him. It went without saying that his tongue was probably gettin' mighty loose, and he just had to wonder how much he could blame him for that.

“Would'ja say I'm a sissy?”

Scout squinted at him a moment before slapping him on the shoulder and grinning, “No. No way. Not like dem fags, Engie. You're like... all fuckin' man.”

“Well, I 'ppreciate that, son.” Engineer chuckled, idly rubbing his fingertips along the frets before casually adding. “Though _y'know_ , I happen t'be one'a 'dem fags'. Funny thing, ain't it.”

Scout choked, jumping back like someone had physically burned him, “Woah! What the fuck, man! That ain't even funny to _joke_ about!”

The Engineer just crooked a brow again, calmly watching the little spasm. Course, to him, this wasn't even the beginnings of a big deal. ...plus the kid was drunk. Would could say if he'd even remember? 

“I ain't laughin'.”

“Wh... What. You're dead fuckin' serious, ain't ya?” Scout settled down a bit but made sure to inch backwards away from the other man. _Wouldn't want him to catch none a’his “homo germs”_ , thought Engineer with a bit of distain. “You ain't gonna... you know... Are ya?”

“M'gonna keep on playin' my guitar,” he answered simply, his stare hardening a bit. Maybe his patience wouldn't last _that_ long... “It ain't contagious, boy. Don't worry.”

Scout sucked his teeth, “Well... o...kay. But I mean, if you try anythin', and I mean any-y-thing, I'll freakin' beat ya head in...” And then resumed his place beside the Engineer, downing the last of his beer.

“So, um... fucking other guys. What's that all about?”

“Ain't nothin' about it, son,” Engineer snorted, his brow giving a little twitch. But he could hold off his temper, just a little longer. “S'just a preference. Nothin' against women, a'course. I still like 'em just as much.”

“Huh.” The boy drew his knees up against his chest, arms folded across the top of them, “So why are you messing around with guys and stuff if you like women? I mean, fuckin' gross. You ain't actually, ya know, touched another man's thing, have ya? Oh man, that is so sick!”

Alright... now that line was growing mighty thin.

Scout took another moment to stare down at the empty bottle in his hand, “Geez, where does this stuff keep goin'? See, I freakin' told ya. I'm like a machine.” Then tossed it backwards into the night sky where it made a graceful arc before shattering into a million pieces as it hit the ground. The boy laughed.

Engineer frowned and shifted to put his guitar aside, sliding off the bed of the truck to stretch himself out. A few more jabs on the subject and he'd end up tryin' to wring the kid's skinny throat. Didn't need that, no sir. 

“Well... mebbe it's time I hit the sack...”

“Yo, hey, wait.” Scout scrambled to his knees, slurring. “Wait. Just. So. I was thinkin' all of a sudden. Hey, so. So. If ya wanted to you could, I don't know, like, show me.”

Engineer frowned, turning back toward him with a slight grit of his jaw. “Show ya _what._ ” 

This would be one damn sour time to ask for a guitar lesson, that was for sure.

Scout recoiled under that gaze, but didn't seem to reconsider, “Uh... I mean... You know. You could show me what all this fag business is about ...Or somethin'. Just, ya know. So, I can see it. Not that I'm one a'you queers or somethin'.”

What? Engineer blinked, honestly taken aback at that. First the kid was jumping away from him like he had the plague-- and then he was asking for... what, some kinda demonstration? “ 'n what happened to 'ew' 'n 'sick' 'n all that other shit you had 'tsay about it, boy? What're you getting' at-- want somethin' to laugh at? Is that it? I ain't in the mood fer bein' a joke.”

“No, Jesus, _No_ ,” Scout glanced around as if afraid of behind overhead, leaning forward slightly, his tongue wetting his lower lip nervously, “Listen. Wait. C'mon. Just... y'know... I heard about some stuff, right? My bro was sayin' that it's okay, I mean, y'know, it ain't queer or nothin' if you're y'know, stuck with a bunch of guys – you get my freakin' drift? Maybe you could just, y'know. Touch it a little. Since ya like that kinda stuff anyway, what's the big deal, right?”

Well, now it was the Engineer's turn to end up with the red face. He nearly spluttered, jerking his arm away so that he could subconsciously brush both palms down the front of his overalls. “Yer-- yer jus' outta yer mind, son. Ya don't know what yer askin'.”

He shook his head; just walk away. Walk away, Dell. --but he wasn't. “Won't havin' a _man_ doin' that to ya... give ya the squicks?”

Scout stumbled off the truck bed, dizzily moving forward and grabbing Engineer by the straps of his overalls with clumsy fingers. Lord, how drunk was this kid? 

“Nah, wait,” He stuttered out. “Just. I mean, I jus' thought, since ya like it so much... y-y'don't understand. I just need someone to freakin' touch it. C'mon. I got the worst freakin' case of blue balls here. I wasn't gonna say nothin' or whatever but... you like this kinda stuff so... I just thought...”

Engineer stiffened a bit, the fact that the damn kid was taller than he was wasn't helping matters. Aside from the urge to _sharply_ inform him that being a homosexual didn't mean he liked just jerkin' _any_ fella off, he found himself glancing down while listening. The Scout had a... supple lil' frame, and hell-- If it wasn't just... helping him out... Gah, what was he _thinking?!_

“No, no, I can't.” he muttered quickly, grabbing the American's hands and pulling them off of his overall straps.

The boy made a soft noise of protest that did something funny to his resolve and the Engineer took a deep breath to try and steel his decision. But the Scout's hands were shaky as they tried to re-grab him, grasping him by his shoulders as he struggled to keep balance. He staggered forward abruptly and then the Engineer was suddenly flooded with warmth radiating off the younger man, the boy's face resting in the crook of his neck, his breath coming out as hot panting against his skin. And if that didn't make him reconsider, what Scout said next sure did.

“C'mon, I'm seriously dying already. Ain't anybody else even gonna look at it. Christ, c'mon. You don’t even gotta do nothin’. Just look at it while I touch it. I just fuckin' need _something_. Please, Engie. _Please._ ”

Engineer took a deep breath, glancing right and then left. It was darker now with the sun setting, and if anyone else was outside the base, they weren't nearby. He swallowed down a conflicted lump in his throat, trying not to be swayed by the pleading in Scout's voice. But... damnit, it'd been a while for him, too. He didn't know whether or not he was tempted from feeling sorry for the boy, or if it was for his own personal benefit, but either way...

“A... a'ight, kid,” he mumbled under his breath, and pushed his ungloved hand down to settle at the boy's hip, his thumb stretching out to pressed down against the seam of his crotch.

The Scout exhaled a shaky breath, mumbling something incoherent into the Engineer's neck. His hips jutted forward at the first contact and despite the drink in him, he was almost ashamedly hard, his erection straining against the front of his slacks. “G-God...”

Oh, he shouldn't be doing this. The Scout was drunk off his ass; he was also young and annoying and _admittedly_ anti-homosexual. So _why_ was his damn chest so tight? His face so hot? Surely his one beer couldn't have been having that much of an effect on him. Gah' _damnit_. But Engineer's fingers were already mindlessly running over that firm bulge hidden underneath the fabric, his logistical brain already making a mental blueprint of the length and girth – though there was no way to confirm a thing while those britches were still on.

The Scout's trembling hand slid from the Engineer's shoulder to the front of his slacks, fumbling with his belt in a struggle to pull it open. With the tell-tale 'clink' of his buckle being undone, the younger man attempted to yank down his pants. “C'mon... just... C'mon.”

Engineer had to pull back when the Scout's hands were just getting in the way-- and it gave Engineer an opportunity to _breathe_. And try to collect his head. He was past the point of trying to talk himself out of it; though, to do so now would just be plain _cruel_. But he did glance over, noting the bed of the truck just waiting to be used to his advantage.

“Sit up 'ere,” he murmured, his voice more of a croak than he would've liked, but whatever worked.

“Uh, s-sure.” The Scout was unusually obedient, moving carefully backwards, guided by the Engineer's strong hold on his hip. Scout hoisted himself up onto the truck bed with an agility the Engineer was sure he couldn't possess in his drunken state, and then leant back on his elbows. Scout stared expectantly at him, his erection more obvious now that he was sitting down, his pants half undone, caught around his thighs.

Engineer tried not to stare-- but what could he say, he was a visual kinda guy. He absently licked his lips, taking in the sight of that stiff, young cock and those hairless thighs. He could practically see the muscles under his skin; and even he took note of how contrastingly pale he was. Damn strong tan lines on this one. Not that he wasn't the same way, a'course.

Either way, he shook his head to clear his thoughts and stepped forward, setting his gloved hand on the tailgate while the other wrapped around that stiff shaft, giving a firm squeeze. Lord Almighty, he was warm, too...

Scout gasped out, eyes clenched shut suddenly. “Oh fuck oh fuck oh f--” He bit his lower lip, letting out a soft hiss as Engineer gave him another experimental squeeze and then arched his hips up, trying to get more of that pressure on him.

“Jus' relax now,” he found himself saying-- he didn't need the Scout hyperventilating on him or anything. The Engineer squeezed him again before his thick fingers rewrapped around the base, giving a firm stroked up to the rosy tip and back again.

Another soft gasp escaped Scout's throat that dissolved into a breathy groan. Slowly, his eyes slid open, fixing his half-lidded gaze on the Engineer, looking at what he was doing, looking at his hands. His erection perked up slightly, pre-come spreading over the Engineer's hands. “Ff-fuck, Engie.”

At that Sound, Engineer's eyes flicked up and, momentarily, he met the Scout's stare. It nearly rattled him, because even if this was all quick and illogical and reckless - it suddenly felt a lot more intimate than that.

He managed to tear his gaze away, focusing back down to his work and slowly smearing the calloused pad of his thumb across that slicked head. He certainly didn't have anything _close_ to a woman's hands, no siree.

Scout bucked again, hands curling against the metal beside him, seeking purchase because it seemed it was all he could do not to just buck into the Engineer's hands until he came. But he was still, letting Engineer touch him, responding only in staggered gasps and moans.

Engineer was careful to pick up every pearly bead of fluid as it leaked out, smearing it down the throbbing vein for an easier pass of his hand as he stroked and pumped and stimulated Scout in every way he knew how. Alternating pressure on his fingertips, rolling his knuckles, twisting his wrist – the human body was just a machine; ya had to know how to work it for the best results. And a tight little dick? Weren't no different.

He captured the tip of a gloved fingertip in his teeth and tugged the rubber sheath off, tossing it aside to free his scarred hand- just a few burn marks stretching across his palm- and dropped it down so that he could brush the back of his thick knuckles over the boy's testicles, his gaze flicking back up to his face again. Expectant.

“Oh my freakin' G-God...” The Scout's balls tightened under the Engineer's ministrations. His eyes fluttered shut and then open again, alternating between gazing at the Engineer's hands working on his cock and the Engineer's face, the Scout's body shaking with some kind of electric shocks of pleasure every time their eyes connected though Engineer couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why. Scout's hips struggled upwards again, trembling with the strain.

“F-fuck, I'm gonna f-fuck... Please, oh fuckin' please.”

Engineer was biting his bottom lip by now, supressing some _damn_ impolite sounds and shifting his weight from side to side as he worked on the boy, trying to focus on _him_ and not the tightness in his own overalls. He licked his lips again as that thin pelvis began to jerk, and he leaned down to spit on his palm before picking up the pace, wanting to milk every single drop right outta him.

“Let it on out, boy...”

 

“OhmyGodohmyfreakin – pleasefuckpleasepleaseohohohGod Engie.“ Scout howled, hips shaking as he came.

He felt Scout's body stiffening even before his words started tangling together, and he tightened his throat to suppress a growl of want when that euphoric, strained look crossed the boy's features and he hit his release.

The first jet splashed out against Engineer's hands, still bucking into his tight grip as the rest spilt out, a shot catching the Scout in the chin as he hunched forward, curled into himself in what looked to be mind-numbing pleasure. Engineer's hand continued its movements, slowing the stroking but keeping the pressure nice and tight to squeeze every bit free as if he were wringing out a rag.

“Atta boy, son...” he breathed, eventually pulling his hand away to reach into his pocket and tug out a washcloth, getting to the task of cleaning him up with careful and ginger swipes.

Scout continued to pant, slumping bonelessly against the truck bed, apparently too tired to even help cleaning himself up, never mind the stripe of ejaculate on his own face. “G-God fucking damn...” Not to mention too tired to even string a proper sentence together. The boy lifted a hand, dragging it lazily across his exposed stomach in an attempt to calm his breathing.

The Engineer smiled to himself, a little proud of the results. He leaned forward and put the rag aside, swiping his thumb against Scout's chin to clean off that little splash of come. Of course, there was a reason Engineer didn't just use the cloth.

“Open up, son,” he murmured, pressing the pad of that digit to the boy's lower lip.

“Wha...?” Scout opened his mouth, still surprisingly pliant in both his drunkenness and euphoric haze.

The boy stared dizzily up at the older man, his hot, pink tongue darting out to catch his lower lip instinctively. The Engineer, took a heavy and satisfied breath when that warm muscle slicked over his thumb, and he lingered a bit just to enjoy it – even if it was a little selfish – before pulling his hand away and wiping them both off on the legs of his overalls. He really did try not to stare, and he was semi-successful, but when he started to help tug the boy's pants back up; well, he just couldn't _not_ look, now could he.

Scout groaned as the Engineer started to help dress him again. He sat up once his pants were up around his waist, spreading his legs slightly to help steady himself, (thankfully) oblivious as to what the Engineer was looking at or that he was even looking at all. He yanked his shirt down that had, at some point, ridden up his torso and then moved a palm across his sweat-slicked forehead. He still looked pretty worn down.

“Y'alright?” the Engineer asked idly, finding the boy's hat which had fallen off, and plopping it on the top of his head. Scout looked plum tuckered out, and all of that alcohol in his system probably wasn't helping either. Engineer just hoped he hadn't overdone it...

“Yeah... I'm okay.” And then Scout did something crazy. The boy laughed, quietly, his voice still slightly hoarse from shouting, and then reached out with his knee and jammed it against the Engineer's groin.

“So, I was thinkin'. This hot freakin' body... Probably drove you all kinds of crazy,” Scout said so casually that the Engineer might've overlooked the fact that he was still shaking like a newborn foal.

“Nh.” Engineer's breath caught in his throat and he stiffened, repressing the urge to rock himself forward into that strong kneecap. No, not even a _little_! Either way though, his body sure as hell enjoyed the connection. “ _\--and?_ ” If this was just fishin' for compliments, he'd toss the kid into a ditch.

Scout grinned. That kind of irritating, annoying as fuck, kind of charming if you squinted, sort of grin. He bent forward, grinding his knee into the older man, letting out a soft sound of appreciation when he wedged it up against something hard and unrelenting caught in the front of the Engineer's overalls.

“Yeah, you got it bad for me, huh? Woah, that’s pretty gross...” he slurred, now moving forward to replace his knee with his hands, running them along the bulge there, curiously fingering the seam, “So I wus' jus' thinkin, ya know... I oughta be polite and reo... uh, repro... fuckin' return the favour, ya get my drift?”

The Scout was licking his lips and grinning and Engineer was about to say something when he boy cut in over the top of him, “And ya know, if you wanted me to then I guess I could, ya know, put up with these homo needs a‘yers. Cus I know ya want it so bad and all.”

The Texan's brows knit and he glared, finding it fairly hard to do while the boy's hands were so enthusiastically running over the damn tent he was pitching. How the hell could he even function like that; saying one thing but doing somthin' entirely different. It wasn't even logical. Unless... the kid had _that_ much denial.

“Y'ain't got a damn clue what I want,” he finally replied, though he did little to move away.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I can jus' tell.” Scout hunched further forward, tongue slicing against his lower lip. And Engineer wished that he would just shut the hell up because it was getting damn hard to appreciate the hands that were now fumbling around with the front of his overalls, yanking open the straps with clumsy, desperate fingers when the boy kept running his damn mouth.

Scout moved to press himself up against the other man, letting out short, shaky breaths into his skin as he dragged the other man's overalls down, “That's what all you fags want, ain't it?”

Heat splashed over Engineer's face again, but it wasn't out of a sudden rush of pleasure but rather something that felt far too much like humiliation for his comfort. He had to decide whether or not a bit of release was worth the degrading... frankly, he didn't think so.

“ _Don't_ you talk t'me like that, boy,” he growled, fisting his hand in the boy's shirt to stop his actions and to resist his own urge to just _shake_ some damn sense into him. “You understand me?! I ain't no _gahdamned_ fag 'n I can do a lot better than getting' off to some _disrespectin'_ runt like you!”

“W-woah, hey!” Scout blurted out, moving to grab Engineer's fist with both of his, trying to peel it off. “I was just tryin' to... Ain't that what you want? Ya don't gotta be nervous or nothin'! I ain't gonna tell no one!” And again, with his damned big mouth. He really oughta learn when to shut the heck up.

“Let's jus' say the constant reminders of yer public position on homosexuals is doin' a right nice job of _killin'_ my engine,” he muttered, swatting the boy away from him and shrugging his arm back into the slouching strap of his overalls. He had to just ignore the feelin – there was such a thing as self-respect, after all. And his balls weren't nearly blue as the kid's had been t'go subjugating himself to bein' made fun of all damn night.

“It ain't even a position, it's like, I’m just calling it what it is! Geez. Ya don't gotta go takin' it so personally, Engie.” Suddenly, Scout wasn't looking too hot, “I just thought I would help ya out, y'know, I just, freakin fuckin – ergh.” He shoved the Engineer away, spinning around in a motion that literally made him sick – thankfully all over the ground and not all over the Engineer or himself.

“...” A sigh left him and he propped his hands in his hips; welp. That was that. While Scout let up his food and all that beer he'd drunk, Engineer surveyed his options. His instinct told him to leave the little shit out here, just let him meander back into the base when he felt like it. But... damnit, his Momma didn't raise him that way. So with a roll of his eyes he stepped over to the ice chest, fishing out another beer. It was all he had so it'd have to do.

“ 'ere,” he grunted, twisting off the cap and passing it to the boy after the heaving seemed to lessen. “Wash yer mouth out. Don't swallow it 'r you'll just start up all over 'gain.”

Scout choked out the last of the vomit, gripping his aching stomach with one hand and grasping for the beer in the other, “Yeah... okay.”

He did as the Engineer told him, taking a swig of it and washing the bitter taste out of his mouth. He spat out and then quietly groaned, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. “Don't uh, feel so... great, Engie.”

“Yeah, yeah... told ya t'go easy on it, son,” Engineer sighed, and with a careful hand he took the beer back from the kid and left it on the tailgate, redonning his glove before one hand grasped the back of Scout's shirt and the other held him by the seat of his britches, half hauling and half helping him back toward the base. “We'll put ya in bed, let ya sleep it off...”

“Yeah, mm... that sounds like the best freakin' idea ever.” Scout let himself be helped along, his head lolling sleepily against the Engineer's shoulder as he walked.

_Don't shove him off, don't shove him off... _Engineer had to repeat that in his head like a damn mantra, rolling his eyes and hurrying the both of them back into the base. Now then, all he had to do was get to the Scout's room. Then he could dump him off, get back to his workshop and uh... take care of some things...__

__But the Scout was falling asleep already, making the trip back to the boy's room long and tiresome. The Scout stumbled every couple of steps, his hands fisting the back of Engineer's shirt as he fought to stay upright. Still, soon enough they were at the younger man's door. Well it didn't seem like Scout had enough sense in him at the moment to get the knob, so Engineer shifted the boy in his arm and got the door open, lugging him inside._ _

__Ugh, what a mess... he really was a kid. “A'ight boy, in ya go...” He dragged Scout to his bed and more or less just... dropped him down onto it._ _

__Scout let out a little 'oomph' as he fell but was soon stretching out onto the mattress, curling the sheets around him and closing his eyes. This lasted all of five seconds before his eyes opened up again, staring at Engie through blonde lashes._ _

__“...Hey... mm... Thanks for... you know... stuff. And this... and everything.”_ _

__Engineer brushed his hands off and thrust them into his pockets, giving a grunt and looking to one side to occupy himself with the baseball posters on the Scout's wall, “Yeah... yer welcome. Take an aspirin in the mornin' fer yer hangover, 'n... well, s'pose that's it.”_ _

__“Yeah... okay...” Scout closed his eyes again, tucking the sheet up around his chin, not seeming to mind that he was still fully dressed, socks and shoes and all. “...Hey, uh... Engie?”_ _

__He was starting to eye the door, but upon hearing his name – 'err, his BLU name, anyway, he couldn't help but glance back down toward the Scout, crooking an only partially-amused brow. “Mm?”_ _

__“... Sorry fer callin' ya a fag and stuff... even if it's what ya are... I mean, er... I dunno... I didn't mean to make you freakin' cry or whatever... uh, I guess...”_ _

__...Well, now it was an entirely unamused expression. One of Scout's “apologies” always took care of that right quick. “Yeah. Well.” He gave a snort, swiping a digit beneath his nose and idly nudging the edge of the bed with his knee. “ 'ppreciate the sentiment. I think. You jus' rest up 'n I'll see ya t'morrow.”_ _

__“Yeah, all right.” And then that was that. Scout was out._ _

__Engineer gave the Scout one more look before tugging his blanket up a bit more securely around him and then stepping to the door, flicking off the light upon his exit. Once out in the hall, he sighed, glancing to the right where his workshop was, but then going left. He'd shower before going to bed. A nice, cold as fuckin' hell shower._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a rp collab between metalxmanagement/Knub Knubs and myself that I have lovingly edited and cut down for you fine folks. I was Scout. She was Engineer.
> 
> I posted this back in 2011 on TF2chan and realised I never updated it with the new parts. I'm now going over it all fixing up all the chapters and posting all the new ones and adding bits to make the overall flow better.


	2. Accidentally on purpose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The awkward next morning.

The Engineer didn't sleep nearly as much as he would've liked – he was too busy frettin'. If he'd made a terrible decision doing what he did, if he'd made a terrible decision _not_ letting the Scout go through with his offer; hell, he was just brain scrambled. And _that_ was really saying something.

By the time morning came, though, he'd gotten a few hours in, and since he'd showered the night before he dressed and went straight for breakfast. It was Soldier's time to cook, so he had to make sure he got there early enough to get his pick of the litter. There were always a few pieces of bacon that _weren't_ burnt, after all.

However, much to his chagrin, the Sniper and the Soldier seemed to have taken all the edible food already by the time he got to the mess, so he just piled his plate with anything that wasn't pitch black and got himself a cup of coffee before sitting down next to the hot-blooded American.

He gave some polite chit-chat, just the formalities for morning, and then quieted down when Soldier started up another one of his rousing war-tales. At least it was a distraction from his mind... and the taste of the food.

Not that this solace lasted long, if it could have really been called that at all. Someone cleared their throat. The Engineer glanced over as the Scout entered the room, appearing disgruntled but lacking any of the sluggish motions that would've indicated a hangover despite last night's very drunken events – of course, he wasn't exactly rocketing around either. Engineer looked over at him while the Scout fixed his plate but he was back to minding his own business by the time he sat back down.

Idly, he poked his rubbery eggs, offering Soldier a polite smile and asking him a random question about one of the boys he supposedly fought with. It kept the man happy, and if a Soldier was going to be loud, he'd best be happy about it. The other option was much worse.

After ten long minutes of pushing the food around his plate and trying to eat around the burnt bits (of which there were many), Scout stole a glance over at the Engineer... which the other man completely missed. Frustrated, he stabbed a fork into a bit of black bacon and watched it crumble beneath the utensil.

“... Ya look loike shit, mate,” the Sniper muttered as he nursed his cup of coffee; and frankly, for the team's worst morning person, that was saying something.

Engineer glanced over again when he heard the comment, but he kept his head ducked down and continued shovelling forkfulls of barely edible grub into his mouth.

“Yeah, well. Ya can just shove off,” Scout got up with an exaggerated sigh, his chair scraping noisily on the hardwood floor, “I'm takin' this to my room. See you geezers later.” 

And with that, picked up his plate and left, not even bothering to push his chair back in. If Soldier had shouted something about ants, he didn't hear it. Or perhaps wasn't listening.

“I think sumone pissed in 'is cereal,” the Australian commented, which was quickly rebutted when the Spy stroked into the room.

“Are you sure eet waz not _you?_ ”

This naturally, sparked a heated argument of flinging insults. The Engineer sighed, finishing his coffee and then excusing himself to dump his dishes into the sink and then head out into the hall.

“Hey, uh...”

Engineer blinked with surprise; now he hadn't expected to see the Scout. He thought he'd gone storming off to his room for... whatever reason. Now here he was standing uncomfortably in front of him, stuffing a burnt rasher of bacon into his mouth and chewing it so violently it didn't look much like eating at all.

“Hey,” he replied back just as hesitantly, scuffing his foot back against the ground and idly gnawing the inside of a cheek. “How uh... how's the hangover treatin' ya?”

Curiously, Scout was actually turning quite pink.

The boy cleared his throat. ”Oh, uh... ya know... Ain't nothin' really. Took some aspirin like you said.” he mumbled, picking at a slice of toast, stripping the crusts off.

“S'good...” The Engineer nodded and gave a polite smile, offering a light chuckle. “Wasn't sure how bad it was gonna be after ya went throwin' up 'n everything last n–...” Ahem. Well never mind on that comment. He cleared his throat and rubbed at the back of his head, glancing back toward the mess room before gesturing down the hall. “If yer on yer way t'yer room, I won't keep ya.”

“Nah, uh. I was just wonderin', ya know. Maybe you wanted some company or somethin'.” he bit into the toast, chewing on the blackened bread and speaking around it, “Cus, it's not like I got anythin' else to do anyway, and I don't really wanna be around all a' those guys right now.”

“Uh...” He thought about that, good and hard, sparing quick glances at Scout's face. It didn't appear that the boy was insinuating anything with that, but... then again, isn't that the same way the night before had started out, too? “You... err, ya sure that's a good idea, son?”

“Huh? What do you mean?” It was obvious that he was struggling to keep his face neutral and Engineer had no idea about the implications of that but before he could question it, the Scout had lowered his voice and was speaking again, “If you're talkin' about your, uh... 'inclination' then it's cool. I ain't really got no problem with it, I guess. I mean, if that's what ya sayin'.”

“Mah _inclination?_ ” Engineer frowned, his arms folding across his chest. He shouldn't have said anything – it always went back to the damn insults; no matter how nicely they were packaged. “ _I'm_ not the one the one I'm talkin' about here.”

“Uh, wait... I mean...” He rubbed a hand across his forehead before continuing, “Geez. Do ya think we could, I dunno, talk in private at least, yeah?”

“...Fine. S'a good idea,” he replied quickly, glancing back toward the mess again before he sighed and thrust his hands in his pockets, taking the lead to head down the hallway.

Meanwhile Scout was hurrying behind him, still stuffing that last bite of toast into his mouth and clearing another bit of bacon off the plate before setting it down somewhere for someone to – Engineer noted with distaste – either clean up or accidentally sit down on.

The Scout's room was closest so it would have to do. The Engineer tugged the door open before stepping aside so the boy could enter first, while he had a quick glance back and forth down the hall. Last thing they needed was someone butting in.

Scout wandered past the Engineer, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, moving to make himself comfortable on his bed while his legs hung off the side. “Uh... Mind like... lockin' that behind you?”

“Sure.” The Southerner closed the door, locked it, then double checked by attempting to turn the knob. Best to be absolutely sure, after all.

But once that was out of the way, he looked around and then pulled a chair out from under the desk that was littered in magazines and soda cans, dropping down into a sit and... ah, just shifting. Patiently.

“... So, uh. Some, you know, strange stuff happened last night.” The boy's hands fidgeted beside him, curling and uncurling in those dirty looking sheets, while he looked anywhere but directly at the Engineer.

“I reckon it did...” Engineer replied, keeping his eyes on the boy – who seemed to be darting about for anything to grab his attention. He knew that flighty look; he'd had it just the night before. “I s'pose beer'll do that to a fella, eh?”

Scout let out a short laugh, although his forehead was shiny with sweat and his hands were presumably as well, “Yeah, well... I just... uh, wanted to say. I mean. I think it was probably like, some kinda accident, right?”

“I wasn't drunk, son, so I can't in good conscience say my actions were an accident. _Wrong_ , maybe, but they were my choices and I made 'em. But... yeah, yer right. You were drunk, so you ain't at fault.”

If that's how he wanted to look at it, what choice did he have to support it?

Scout swallowed hard and wiped his brow, “...But I was thinkin'. Well. I mean. I ain't... _y'know_ ,” he gestured a bit too emphatically at that, “I ain't like you or nothin, sure... but I figure, well, I mean, I was jus' thinkin'... in this kinda 'environment', it ain't so bad. Maybe. I'm not. Just so you know, I'm _not_. But it'd be okay, uh... if you wanted to... Ya know, continue.”

Well... taken aback wasn't nearly a strong enough word for what he was feeling right now. He assumed he was brought in here so that Scout could say his peace; admit that it was stupid, _again_ boast his heterosexuality (which he seemed to do anyway), and if he was lucky, maybe even apologise instead of twist things around to blame it on him.

But nope... nope. That wasn't what he was given at all. Goodnight Irene, he was gonna lose five years off his life with all these damn twists 'n surprises.

“T'continue? How the hell d'you mean? Yer _sober_ now, y'know...”

“... So remember, uh, when I told ya about this thing, right? It's like... where ya ain't a homo or nothin', but if ya ain't got no women around sometimes ya like, let a man beat ya off. And it ain't queer. It's just ya know... just what ya do.”

“Words 've wisdom from yer brother, yeah, I remember,” the Engineer muttered, idly twitching a brow and crossing one leg over the other to let his boot tap fidgetingly in the air. A passive way to look less agitated – whatever worked. “S' _real_ smart of 'im, I must say...”

“And I could do it to you too!” The Scout added quickly, “... I mean, if ya wanted me to or whatever.”

The Engineer squinted suspiciously. Before, there was a safety net of booze and inebriation to blame it on. But now, here the boy was, offering the same thing again yet completely sober – well, as far as he knew, anyway. What was he getting at? He wasn't getting anything out of it this way, unless he wanted him to go grabbin' at his crotch again.

“Don't tell me ya got another problem that needs dealin' with _already_.”

“N-nah!” Scout held his hands up defensively, seeming to squirm under Engineer's gaze, “Nothin' like that. I just... it's jus' better than doin' it myself. And I don't uh, I guess it'd be okay if you... ya know... you took yer er...” his fingers contorted in an awkward gesture, “If ya benefitted too, I mean.”

Engineer crooked a brow, of course... it was getting harder to understand _exactly_ what he meant. Not that he wasn't gettin' the gist, of course.

“I'm a grown damn man, boy,” Engineer said with a bit of impatience, mimicking a few of his weird gestures ad then throwing his hands up. “I can't follow ya when ya keep beatin' around the bush. Just say it, son!”

The Scout seemed reluctant of course. He squirmed a bit longer before speaking again. “I mean, we could touch each other and stuff. And that would be okay with me. Cus I mean, it's a bit borin' round here sometimes ya know? An' uh... uh, your hands were like, they were okay.”

He suddenly had a pretty good idea of why the boy wanted the door locked, and he glanced toward it before clearing his throat and pushing himself onto his feet. “ 'n what about yer little _comments?_ ” he added with another sceptics’ glance, leaving his position idling between the kid's bed and the way out.

“I promise not to say nothin' no more!” Gee. He was starting to sound pretty desperate. “Even if I ain't... uh, approvin' or anythin'. I can't go to anyone else. Engie, c'mon. Ya gotta help me out here.”

Why was he considerin' this. Damnit, _why?_ Maybe he'd have to blame it on those damn puppy-dog eyes or the way he was practically begging. Whatever it was, part of him hated it. Though, he might as well secure himself something first.

“... I'll agree t'it son, if'n you don't mind startin' first.”

Hesitation was an understatement. “Uh... me? ...Ya mean, me touchin' _you?_ ”

And Engineer was about to call the whole thing quits when the Scout cleared his throat and knelt up. “Oh, uh. Well. Yeah. Okay. Whatever. No big deal, right?”

The Engineer was still fairly wary, but... with careful steps, he moved over and sat down next to Scout on the bed. He just kept his hands on his knees, nigh imposing or impatient in his posture, though he'd admit his chest was gettin' tight all over again. A careful hand made its way into Engineer's lap, lingering against his thigh for a moment before moving up to his chest.

Awkward fingers pulled the straps open on Engineer's overalls, carefully peeling them down off his shoulders and letting them sag there before they resumed their touching. Engineer swallowed hard and tried not to watch those hands – well, the important part was that he tried, even if he didn't succeed. Scout's palms slid over the broad expanse of his chest, thumbing the buttons on his shirt, pausing briefly to dip against his clavicle.

He leaned back on his hands, unsure if helping him out was the thing to do. Might be best not to spook him; kid was like a jittery calf, he was. 

“If, ah... if'n it's easier on ya.. can jus' open the zipper 'n do it that way,” he offered idly, gesturing down toward the crotch of his overalls with his chin and a knowing glance.

Of course, the kid just getting a feel for him all around was nice too. He had no problems with that at all... save for the fact he was a bit, ehm, _softer_ the lower one went.

“Yeah, uh... okay.” Scout mumbled, still running his hands across the other man's pecs, brushing briefly over the line of his shoulders before travelling down.

Engineer stiffened significantly – and ah, not just outwardly either, but he kept his composure, watching Scout's hand disappear into his pants once that zipper was pulled down. He licked his lips and then set his hand against the boy's back, not to urge him on or even to assure him... just to do it. For his own benefit, really. And Scout let out a soft, shaky breath, allowing himself to lean against the Engineer, his cheek pressed into the older man's shoulder as he grasped him through his underwear. His fingers ran along the bulge for a moment, briefly hesitating, but then coaxing Engineer's thick length from his underwear and wrapped a tentative fist around it.

“Oh... f-fuck...” Scout stiffened.

The Engineer licked along the edge of his teeth, his eyes dropped down and locked onto the sight of that young hand wrapping around his cock. Heat flooded over his face as he felt himself twitching, and his own palm grazed slowly down Scout's back, kneading an easy circle into the small of his spine.

He tried not to breathe too loudly; to not get too into it just yet. But that was… really difficult. And Scout's breathing seemed to be getting quicker too, his eyes staring down, not in disgust but a kind of fascination.

“Atta boy...”

Scout's hand slid up his length once, thumb flickering over the mushroomed head of his cock, collected the slight dribble of pre-come that was leaking out. “Like this?” he breathed out, moving his hand up and down again.

“Yeah...” the Engineer replied just as breathlessly, and his glance flicked over just enough to see the creamy expanse of the boy's neck. His teeth grit as he hissed in a breath, but – well, there were some things he had to hold back.

With a shift, he slipped the rough palm of his hand up underneath that fairly tight shirt, soaking in the warmth practically radiating off of him. The boy responded with a strained sound, as if holding himself back from enjoying himself – curious enough that he would be, considering.

Scout hunched over, moving closer to the hot length in his hand, jerking it slowly, “G-gross...” But Scout's hand never faltered even for a moment, now moving a little faster and he seemed to be – Lord help him – licking his lips as he stared down the barrel of that pointed gun.

Engineer took a deep breath, holding it almost painfully in his throat to keep from groaning. Where Scout lacked in skill, he made up for in eagerness – it also didn't hurt that he hadn't had another's hand on his cock in... hell, since before he joined up. But that light flash of pink; the Scout licking his lips, it didn't go unnoticed and he found his cock twitching again, his fingers curling a bit to drag his nails down a few bumps in the boy's spine.

“Y'can get a lil' closer if ya want...”

Scout hissed a strained breath through the gaps in his teeth, “...Y-yeah... Okay. If ya want me too...”

And then moved closer, close enough that he could reach his tongue out and lick the pre-come gathering on that ruddy head, close enough that his breath was hot against the already warm skin in his hand. He sunk his teeth into his lower lip, eyes sliding half-shut. The Texan's brows twitched as those nimble little fingers tensed and he felt a damn might strong urge to buck into Scout's hand. But he didn't, seeing as how that face was so close to him. He could feel every exhale, and his gloved hand slid unconsciously to the boy's head, giving the most... _subtle_ push he could muster.

“I – uh, I'm not – I don't want to, uh – I'm just – I don't have any tissues so, uh – ya know it's just – ” And then Scout sank down onto the older man's cock. He let out a quiet rasp of neediness when his lips enveloped the head and gave it a tender suck, tongue flitting across the weeping slit there.

“M-motherfuck...” Engineer's knees jerked and he tipped his head back, not bothering to hold back the groans anymore. Goddamn – and this kid was _straight?_ There was no damn way... Not with the way the Scout was swallowing his length down like that.

Engineer slid his hand back and forth over the boy's back, but then let it dip lower to run over the seat of his pants, giving his tight little backside a firm squeeze.

Scout groaned around that cock as those hands broached his rear and he arched back into them. “U... Ugh. F... freakin' gross...” Scout's fingers slipped down the spit slicked shaft to press against the base, fingers curling into the thicket of hair there.

The Engineer didn't even let the boy's register, which was probably for the best, and his hand curved a bit lower to slip between the Scout's legs, rubbing and rolling his fingertips against the crotch of those sports pants. Scout moaned in appreciation, knees pushing him back. Finding the fabric damp and the hidden length underneath hard just had Engineer's temperature rising higher, and he muttered a soft curse under his breath before his hand pushed the kid's head down even more.

“Yer... d-doin' real good...”

Only when the boy's lips were almost brushing against the boy's own fingers did he let up, the Scout moving up again, taking his slow and steady time moving his tight mouth along the Engineer's cock.

“Nh-hngh...” Engineer's jaw wasn't even working and he gasped and moaned as if he'd been starved of this – and that was practically true; he just hadn't noticed until now. He'd been doing just fine, then Scout had to come along with his twisted ol' views and his annoying persistence and his... his fuckin' _talented_ mouth.

His stomach flexed and, ahh... _shit_ , he just couldn't take it anymore. Without much gentle finesse, he grabbed the back of Scout's neck and lifted him up, reluctant to draw his cock out of the boy's mouth, but at the same time much more interested in throwing him back onto the bed so that he could clamour on top of him and start yanking impatiently at his britches. The way he saw it – why bother askin'? He'd bet his pay check that they _both_ wanted the damn things off just as bad.

Scout let out a yelp of protest but soon quietened under the weight of the Engineer pressing down on him. Soon, he was shucking off his pants and underwear, suddenly desperate to have them off – not that the Engineer could complain none, hissing in irritation when they got caught around his ankles, tangled up in his socks and shoes.

Engineer tucked the hanging straps of his overalls into the flap so they wouldn't swing out and pop him or Scout in the face, and then his attention was back on the younger man who was squirming beneath him. He freed one of the boy's legs with a few helpful tugs before he settled himself between his knees. Course, that wasn't quite enough, and he grabbed the front of Scout's shirt before yanking it up. It didn't need to be off, he just wanted it the hell out of his way when he leaned down and sealed his lips around a pert, pink nipple and got straight to sucking and biting.

“O-oh my God.” Scout breathed out, fingers moving to cradle the back of Engineer's skull, drawing him tight against his body. “Y-yeah. You freakin' – ugh, fuck, oh, mhm. Yeah.” He moaned again, a leg moving up to wrap around the Engineer's waist, digging his heel into the base of the older man's spine.

Engineer tore his lips away with an audible smack, licking over them when that sweet taste lingered on. That weight against his middle was more than welcome, knowing that the boy's leg was bare, and he slipped a hand down to grasp that slender cock, giving him a few swift strokes. Best to just get right to it after all.

His own length was chilled from that saliva cooling in the open air, and with some quick thinking he slipped his other arm underneath Scout's waist, picking his hips up to bring them closer. This way he was able to catch both of their erections in his hand, squeezing the hot lengths of flesh together and growing with want from the _damn_ satisfying sensations it created.

“Nhn, yeah...”

Under him, Scout was panting and moaning, his sweaty palms sweaty on Engineer's skin as his nails dug into his shoulders, seeming to struggle to hold on while his hips bucked widly. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my – ah! – freakin' _God_.”

If these little _instances_ kept poppin' up, Engineer had a feeling that he'd be getting into much better shape one way or another. He did his best to regulate his panting, not just for his own sake but so he could hear every rasping noise coming out of the Scout as the kid writhed against him. His own breath was hitting hot and thick against his neck, and again that damn urge picked up as he crooked in to drag his tongue from that blue collar up to the boy's ear, muffling a weary groan against his skin and fisting their cocks together all the more quickly for it. It felt so damn good; his hips gave a strong thrust and the friction from rubbing against Scout's twitching little cock was a hundred times better than his damn hand could ever be.

Scout's body was shaking, and then tensing up, and then he was gasping and groaning again. Lord have mercy, this kid had more energy than a jackrabbit. He was having a hard time just keeping up with his speedy squirms, but when he felt him stiffening, heard his breath hitching – well, he was almost thankful he was hitting his peak.

Engineer's thighs tensed and his back ached, and everything melted into a wash of white, static shocks rocketing up his spine and down his groin. That arm tucked under the boy's body squeezed him close and he groaned into a clothed shoulder, thrusting a few more times while his fingers caught the thick release that spurted free – and it was quickly joined by his own, but by then his hand was useless and the thick hot ropes were splashing on the bedding and clothing and everything else.

He was already going on low fuel, but when the numbing jitters of his orgasm finally started to fade, he almost damn well forgot where in the hell he was for a minute there. Of course, it obviously came rushin' back to him and he sighed, unwrapping his hand from their spent organs and slumping down to prop himself up on both elbows. Meanwhile Scout's hips still twitched every so often, soft grunts escaping his lips, which were now pressing up the Engineer's neck, still overcome with that post orgasmic haze.

Engineer just panted quietly, watching Scout warily out of the corner of his eye, just in case. Not that he could complain about the pair of lips of his neck; but once the kid reached stubble he might have to deal with more knee jerk reactions.

“Woah! Fuck, hey! Do ya fuckin' mind?” Engineer was suddenly shoved back hard, the Scout having found some minute amount of energy to accomplish that much. The boy dragged the back of his hand across his mouth as if Scout had not been the one with the lip lock on his skin and that it was somehow also _his_ fault. “I mean, I'm all down with like, the comin' and stuff but do ya mind keepin' the queer stuff to a minimum here? Guh-eeze.”

Ah. There it was. Engineer sat back with a grunt, a sour expression on his face as he patted himself down and then went about cleaning himself up with another work rag. For the time being he just grit his jaw, leaving the foul language dancing behind his teeth at bay. He was still damn dizzy over the whole thing, and definitely too old to be putting up with this kind of shit... _why_ was he putting it up with it again? This was turnin' out to be one helluva vicious cycle.

Scout scooted backwards, not even having the decency to flush or appear embarrassed for his contradictory actions. He set about fumbling with his pants, attempting to work up them around his legs again but his hands appeared to be shaking still, so he was met with only half-success, his belt buckle being near impossible for the Scout to fasten.

“Yeah, that's better. Freakin' gotta learn not ta step over the line. I'm okay with all a' that other stuff but I mean, woah. Slow down, will ya. I don't wanna be yer frickin' boyfriend or nothin'.”

After tucking himself back into his overalls and connecting the straps again, Engineer slumped forward with his elbows on his knees and his feet on the floor, rubbing a hand over his face and trying to remember everything he'd been bred to know about patience and tolerance and all that nonsense while he caught his breath.

“It'd be... _real_ smart'a ya t'just... not _talk_ few a while.”

“Don't know why ya got ya knickers in such a twist, anyway. I'm jus' sayin' it how it is.” Scout scratched at the drying come on his stomach, screwing his face up in disgust. “...Ew.”

 _Don't punch 'im, Dell. Don't punch 'im..._ Engineer's hand idly fisted before he shook it out and got to his feet, stuffing the sullied rag into his pocket. He'd have to change anyway, couldn't do around all damn day with stained clothing – well, not with _those_ kind of stains, anyway. “Might be best fer you not t'bother me with yer lil' problems anymore.”

“Geez, Engie. Ya don't gotta be such an ass about it. I told ya, I don't care if ya likin' this more than I am.” Half of his words were muffled by the action of him dragging his shirt off over his head. Scout tossed it into the corner where other clothes were piled up – presumably there was a hamper under there somewhere – and then lay back with a quiet huff, “I told ya, it's cool and I won't tell no one, neither.”

“Yanno what I think, boy?” He told himself not to do it, but he found himself turning to stare the Scout down anyway, his hands flexed at his sides. Scout sat up again, directing a dumb gaze at him. “I think yer likin' it just a little _too_ much for yer tastes, 'n so you get _yer_ fuckin' britches in a knot 'n take it out on me. Well I ain't gotta put up with that shit jus' cause yer scare'a bein' one'a those _horrible homos_ ya apparently hate so much! It shouldn't be _my_ problem t'listen to you fuckin' contradict yerself every dag'one second!”

Heat rose to the Scout's face, ears burning hotter and hotter with each word coming out of Engineer's mouth. “...I... uh...”

Even those short stutters were too much, and the Engineer snapped right on him without another second. “I _told_ you t'keep your mouth shut!”

How in the hell Scout could follow every order and suggestion when his pants were at his ankles but none any other time was beyond the Engineer's thinking capabilities. Hell, everything about how the kid worked was beyond him – he didn't understand a lick of it and that in itself was infuriating.

“I just want some damn ol' _respect_ , it ain't hard to give and it ain't hard to get. But I swear, boy, you keep talkin' to me an' _about_ me the way you been goin' and I'll tan your damn skinny hide till yer black 'n blue.”

Scout swallowed down his next words, lips pressed tight together, just staring at him, apparently to damn dumbstruck to do much else. And Engineer just stood there, puffed up and still breathing pretty heavily (though now for different reasons) – and despite himself, the look on the kid's face wasn't make him feel better, like he thought it would. He just wasn't cut for this Soldier-like approach to things, even if he _had_ finally lost his temper and even if it _was_ totally called-for in his opinion.

Finally the boy relented, letting out a soft, small sound and sinking back against the mattress. A look of weary resignation eased onto Engineer's face and he finally sighed, shaking his head and rubbing over the side of his neck while looking elsewhere.

“Look. Jus'... I hope ya fun with yer lil' experimentation 'r... whatever you wanna call it. But I can't do it no more.”

Scout's teeth cut into his lower lip and he stared at the Engineer for a while, his expression now fixed somewhere between disbelief and annoyance. He swallowed hard before he attempted to speak again, and even then, he took his time, hopefully thinking his words through – although the Engineer wouldn't hold his breath, “... Uh. Yeah. Okay... Whatever.”

'Okay?' … he was surprised by that. Then again, _should_ he be? Again, he'd probably just been expecting too much.

Engineer cleared his throat and looked himself over, picking up one of his boots that had somehow fallen off and sliding it back on before he eyed the door and... eventually headed over to it. “Well, alright 'en.”

He had to stay _firm_ on this, not look back and get caught up in those damn puppy dog eyes anymore. Firm. He unlocked the door and idled a moment with the knob, once _again_ not listening to himself and glancing back.

But Scout didn't even seem upset, or angry or... heck, anything; just passively fussing with his shoes, certainly not gazing at him desperately or hopefully as he had been only a while ago. Hell. He wasn't even looking at him.

Maybe that was that, then. Engineer felt words bubbling in his throat but, damnit, how could he go talking about wanting respect if he kept trying to mend things? He had to go respectin' himself first and foremost – no damn sex, no matter how good it was, was really worth all that bullshit that came attached. Hell, he'd just go into town with the boys next time they had a weekend off and buy better company. Such a thing had always been uninteresting to him, but now... shit, what if he was stuck wantin' more of this? Wasn't like he could just turn around and change his entire position on things with Scout. Then what would that be showin' him? What kind of example would that be?

Ugh... he shook his head and slid out of the room, careful not to leave the door open too wide in case anyone was out in the hall. 'n thankfully, they weren't.


	3. All over again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scout and Engineer tensions increase with a guest appearance from Heavy.

The Engineer was still fuming. How the hell he let himself get into something like this was beyond him.

Well, alright – he knew he wasn't the strongest man against temptation. Possibly because, hell, he could admit it; not too many folks were interested in a short, polite Southern boy with too many PHDs. So when someone did gussy up to his attention, he let the brain in the southern bit of his overalls do all the thinking – but _now_ look at the right mess he was in. Scout needed a stern talking to, or a dunk in some cold reality… Or a _wrench_ to the head. Whichever might make him see how… how… unpractically _frustrating_ he was being!

But he'd said his peace, sort of, and he was feeling a mite better. Maybe the whole damn ordeal was over with. He had little worry about the kid suddenly outing him over the breakfast table or anything; that'd put the noose around _both_ their necks. He was just… gonna let that be that. Move on 'n try not to think about it.

And Lord Almighty he was gonna try.

The cease fire ended without much else of interest; the Engineer submersed himself in his work and he had no idea what the Scout was doing – and that was because he didn't _care_ , not that he was… actually thinkin' about it from time to time. Nope.

He got a good night's sleep, woke up bright and early to beat the ear-blasting bugle horn from Soldier, and his fresh perspective got off on the right foot. Breakfast; he grabbed so quickly that he barely stayed in the mess room for more than five minutes. When the battle came that afternoon, he stuck to his babies. It damn near tuckered him out, but he made sure every sentry and teleporter was constantly in good working order. The only physical action he had – and, in truth, he didn't care much for it if he had the choice – were the few instances a damn Spy got close enough to try sappin' his sentries. He got the better of them a few times, but just as equally, he felt a sharp sting in his back and caught a whiff of smoke before he woke back up in the Respawn.

It took hours, it seemed, but eventually the battle ended. And they lost. Try as he might, Engineer couldn't find it in him to beat himself up over it; he was still impressed with his own personal efficiency on the field. Or, in the 'behind the scenes' of the field. Of course that didn't stop Soldier from shouting in his face about being a lazy ass Canadian, though. But he'd been berated worse… and especially recently. This was nothing.

Scout, however, did not get off so lightly.

Thus far, he had endured at least forty-five minutes of non-stop shouting about him being 'useless', 'effeminate' and 'something that his own mother would be ashamed to squeeze out'… Not that Scout was really listening. Nah. The Soldier was always screaming about a whole lot about stuff that didn't matter. Why would Scout start paying attention now?

Of course maybe the criticism wasn't _totally_ undeserved either; he'd double jumped into an oncoming rocket, run around a corner only to skid right into the RED Heavy's gunfire, dropped the intelligence – twice, bashed in his own kneecaps instead of the Medic's stupid head and then been pistol whipped straight into Respawn by the other team's wussy Scout… and that had only been in the first hour of battle. To say he was having an off-day would be kind of an understatement.

But it wasn't just today either. He'd been making these kind of rookie mistakes all week. The problem was, he just couldn't figure out why. The Soldier tearing into him wasn't much help either (and hey, that rocket wasn't even his fault! That could've happened to anyone).

His poor performance _certainly_ didn't have anything to do with the Engineer, that was for sure. He hadn't even thought about overalls _once_ since that last little debacle in his room! … Or twice. Or three times. Or maybe twice in a row at night in his bed.

So when the Soldier had finally finished chewing him out, the Scout had dragged his sorry-self inside to get whatever scraps the others had left for dinner. But he'd found himself so utterly uninterested in the idea that he'd just wandered over to the base's small recreation space instead.

Maybe he could just pass out on one of those dumpy couches there and never wake up.

Except he hadn't even been able to do that. Unfortunately for the Scout, the space appeared to be already occupied by someone he definitely did not want to even think about right now. Of all the rotten luck!

Engineer was slumped onto one of the sofas, his feet kicked up onto the wobbly, cracked and scorched coffee table and his hardhat resting over his face.

Scout hung there awkwardly for a moment, unsure if he should just turn around or just sit down and make out like he hadn't even seen the other man. But the Engineer was already starting to sit up, having heard his footsteps. He nudged the headgear up with a hand and paused. They hadn't so much as even passed each other in the halls since their last meeting; the closest they'd been was standing together in the Respawn before the battle. And even then, there wasn't a shred of eye contact.

“Oh, hey son,” Engineer cleared his throat and slipped off his hat entirely, holding it in his lap, “Some fight t'day, huh? We sure, uh... got out asses handed t'us.”

Yeah. Some worse than others. “Ah, yeah. Guess so...” Scout tongued his lower lip and lingered there moment longer before he moved.

Scout eased himself down onto the sofa opposite the Engineer, stretching out, stiff and sore all over from the day's rough activity. He couldn't even find the energy to lie; yeah, he would've got the intelligence for sure but he was pretty sure the other team was cheating. 

Geez. What was wrong with him? Had he gone freakin' bonkers or something? And over what. Nothing. Fuckin' nothing.

Frustrated, Scout ran a palm over his forehead, pulling off his cap and turning it over in his hands idly. “But y'know, it's cool. We'll get 'em tomorrow.” He wanted to say something else. Something to end the weird stasis between them, but what the hell could he even say?

Beside him the Engineer was quiet; idly thumbing the inside of his hardhat and working his jaw like he was considering what to say. “Reckon so,” he finally added, giving a light nod and then eyeing his knees.

And Scout wanted to say something – _anything_ – because it was getting just way too awkward for him to cope with, but just as he was wetting his lips, there was a loud booming echo of a voice, which could only come from one person.

“Engineer!” The Heavy lumbered in through the doorway with a purely exasperated look on his face, which seemed to pique the Texan's attention.

“Is Sasha, I do not what is wrong–“ and then Scout couldn't keep up, not just because he didn't care enough to listen, but because the Russian was flowing back into his thick native language, punctuated with panicked gestures.

“Whoa now, partner. Come again?”

The large man paused and shook his head, as if reminding himself to swap languages. “Is _problem_. I trigger, da? But hear 'tink tink tink tink'.” Heavy's voice tried to lift up an octave as he imitated the offending noise, and Scout might've laughed if he wasn't suddenly so annoyed. “Aim is fine, but I cannot find what is making noise! I take her apart, find no problems. I clear her, still nothing!”

Geez, as if that was really what he needed right now. That fat fuckin' oaf wandering in here with all his stupid problems. All over that stupid gun of his too. Wah, my girlfriend is broken. Jesus Christ, go cry some more fatty. Take ya problems to someone who actually cares.

Scout rolled over into the sofa, nose pressed into the cushions as he pretended not to notice all the commotion. He let out a soft grunt of annoyance but for the most part remained quiet. Hell, he was more irritated than he should have been in this situation, but he wasn't going to let it get to him. He just hated bein' interrupted, that was all.

The little grunt was apparently noticed, because the Russian paused to glance back over a wide shoulder.

“Oh. Did not know leetul Scout was here,” he muttered in a far more hushed tone, as if he believed the boy to be asleep. Why else would he be so quiet? Because he was fuckin' pissed off, that's why.

“I'll have a look at 'er, Heavy. M'sure we can figure out what the trouble is...” The Texan finally muttered, getting to his feet and putting his hardhat back on.

Wait – what the fuck. Where did they think they were going? Alone? _Together_? Were they fucking _serious_? The Engineer wasn't just gonna wander off who knows where with that stupid, lumbering, numbskull fucking –

At the sound of their footsteps retreating, Scout scrambled to his feet, fingers gripping the arm of the couch as he hoisted himself up. His cheeks were red and heated, half from dozing, half from something he totally did not want to think about right now.

His irritation piqued when he saw that casual hand on the other man's back, “Hey! Fuckin' – what do you think you’re doing?”

Both men stopped at the sudden spurting comments. Or half comments. Or, what was he saying? Even the Scout wasn't really sure himself. Why _was_ he so mad, anyway? Not because of that stupid hand, that was for sure. The Engineer was the first to glance back, more surprise on his face than curiosity.

“Did not mean to wake you from leetul nap,” the Heavy called over, his chest bouncing with a jovial chuckle before he clapped his large hand onto the Engineer's shoulder so hard that it made the man stumble forward. That Russian was just _made_ of momentum. “Come, we must hurry to training room!”

The Engineer nodded, distracted, maybe, still watching where Scout was, in turning, watching them. Him. ...And Scout had to fight down a weird fluttering in his chest that made him feel both nauseous and anxious.

“Uh... well, that's where we'll be,” Engineer muttered, thumbing down the hall and giving a nod before he started following the heavy all over again.

Damnit. Why wasn't the Engineer listening to him? Not that he was making any sense with his tongue knotted up like a some teen girl's talking to a boy she was crushin’ hard on. Geez. As if that wasn't the absolute _worst_ association he could make just then. It certainly didn't help the red of his cheeks any either, still hot and getting hotter.

Scout let out an snort, running his knuckles over his buzz cut while fisting his hat in the other hand, “Y'aint seriously goin' by yerself with this chucklehead over here, are ya? It's probably like, some kinda Commie trick. Y'know. To get you alone and then –” Scout slammed a fist into his palm “– blammo! Y'get me?”

“Now you know that's silly, son,” the Engineer sighed, an exasperated look crossing his face when he glanced back yet again. The Heavy, however, looked a little less pleased than he did before, and that was never a good thing. Not that something being a ‘good thing’ or not had ever stopped the Scout before.

“Why can I not have Engineer help?” he asked, his tone sharp and accusatory; suspicious. “How can this be trick? I am not spy, we are Team!”

The Texan simply nursed his lip between his teeth, slowly, looking as if he were anticipating something.

“Yeah, and that's exactly what some pinko Commie like you would say!” Meanwhile Scout was just getting angrier, clenching his cap in both hands now, doing his best not to crush his headset in that trembling grip, “Ya probably _are_ some kinda spy! I mean come _on_! What kinda lame fuckin... fuckin' excuse is that anyway, fatso? Your fuckin', your fuckin' gun! Hah! Yeah, _right_!”

Woah. What the fuck was he even saying? Scout wasn't looking at Engineer anymore, not willing to face that dumb look he knew he'd be wearing. As if he could read him like some kind of open book. Like everything about him was totally obvious to everyone but himself. God, he just wanted to punch him right between the eyes. Both him and the fat bastard looming next to him. And then he wanted to punch himself.

The Engineer glanced over through his goggles at the Heavy, who was growing stiffer by the minute. And right when he saw that jaw starting to work, he cleared his throat and gave the large man a pat on the arm to get his attention.

“Why'ont you go on to the Training Room, Heavy; I'll meet ya there in jus' a minute t'have a look at yer gun.”

Heavy frowned for a moment, shifting his hard gaze from the Engineer to the Scout and back again before he gave a low grunt and continued down the hall. The grumbles under his breath that Scout could only barely pick up were, fortunately, in Russian.

Engineer just stood there, waiting until the sounds of heavy footfalls faded into silence before he allowed the stern frown that was threatening to pull at his mouth to finally do so. “What's _with_ you, boy?”

Scout jumped back, as if he hadn't expected the Engineer to still be there, too focused on not running after the Heavy to beat the shit out of him (or get the shit beaten out of him, which was far more likely). He was shaking, furious mostly, but a hint of uncertainty was also there. There were creeping sensations at the back of his mind, which was already working a mile a minute, and he just couldn't, fucking, stop thinking about that stupid hand on the Heavy's back. And that stupid, dumb as hell smile he had given him. And the fucking stupid, stupid, stupid hand on his arm just a moment ago.

But that _wasn't_ the problem because that would imply too many things he was more than willing to ignore.

“I was...” he started and then stopped, taking a gulp of air, trying to calm himself the hell down and stop feeling so conflicted, “I was jus' tryin' to protect you. I mean, I got my eye on him, ya know. He's probably... y'know... _like that_ , and I thought, well, if he knew 'bout you, he'd probably try and take advantage of ya, get ya alone so he could, y'know, touch ya and stuff, so I was just tryin' to protect ya.”

“Jesus Christ. Would ya stop freakin' lookin' at me like that. You're _welcome_.”

The Engineer lofted a single brow, though that was lost behind the rim of his hardhat. Either way, he was looking mighty unimpressed. “ _You_. Were tryin' to protect _me_. From _Heavy_.” He stared at him, long and hard before he rolled his eyes, “I don't get you, boy. I've worked on everyone's weapons at least once, ain't no problem in that! His askin' me fer help don't mean a _damn_ thing, other'n he _respects_ me enough t'trust me with his possessions.” His frown was growing sterner now, “I don't _need_ you lookin' out fer me.”

“Just freakin', would you wait a second here? Geez,” Scout snorted as if Engineer were the one being totally delusional. He crossed his arms across his chest with a huff, “I mean, if you wanna go off and be all, y'know, whatever the hell you faggots do, I mean, cool... but I was just, in case you didn't wanna, I mean, I know ya sayin' you don't need it or nothin', but I mean, don't come cryin' t'me when he turns on ya is all I'm sayin'.”

Scout's anger was quickly fading, replaced by a paler comparison of his usual cocky arrogance. He wrung his wrists, almost looking sheepish, gaze turned down and brows knitting together.

“Jus'...” The Engineer took a step toward the Scout as if to start off again but... then all of the tension flooded out of his shoulders and, for a moment at least, he just looked _tired_.

“I 'ppreicate the concern,” he muttered in a low voice, “but m'fine. Gonna go help out my teammate now.” The older man glanced quickly toward the Scout through his goggles, then turned on a heel and headed off toward the Training Room.

Scout lingered there a moment, face hot with embarrassment. Geez. Was talking to the Engineer always this difficult? He couldn't really remember. Had they even talked that much before the... uh... that time? Honestly, he never paid the older man much attention. Damnit, he should've left it that way. Then none of this would've happened. Not that any of this was even his fault. Engineer had just gone soft. Was probably gonna frickin' cry or somethin'. Figures. All a' _those_ were the same, weren't they? Soft and emotional.

So why was he following him? Sneakers scuffling quietly behind the Engineer's; he'd been avoiding him for days but now he was running after him like some stupid girl.

“Wait, uh...” He'd started to mutter but then stopped, sinking his teeth into his lower lip. Talking was what got him into this whole damn mess in the first place.

But the Engineer didn't look back, although Scout was certain he'd heard him. He just kept walking, turning open the door to the Training Room and vanishing inside with a smile of greeting and a clap of his hands.

“Sorry 'bout that! Now let's have a looksee at yer little lady there, Heavy!”

What was he _doing_? The Engineer had already long disappeared inside the Training Room but here Scout was, standing awkwardly in the hallway. He should go get a freakin' clue, seriously. This was embarrassing. Scout shuffled his feet against the wooden floor sneakers squeaking in protest.

Maybe he should just bust on in there. Of course that would probably make things worse. Did he really want Engie to be angrier than he already was? Geez. He really was an idiot. What the hell could they even be doing in there anyway? Uh. Fixing Heavy's stupid gun probably. Fuck. What an idiot.

Scout slammed a hand to his temple, slumping in defeat and resting against the door. He should go. This was getting really ridiculous. No. It already _was_ ridiculous. This was just getting plain fucking _dumb_. Scout made to move and then reconsidered. Well. It probably wouldn't hurt to be sure. Right? Fuck. Whatever.

It was too late to back down anyway because he was already twisting the door knob.

Sasha had been carefully dismantled on a black tarp in the middle of the training room floor just behind the safety cages and the Engineer was settled down on his knees over it.

“Ah think it's in the... _nnnh_ , the ammo drum spindle. S'way ya can't get to it that way with yer wire bristle 'n- _aaah_ , that's _heaven._ ”

“Looks like I have found problem place, too.”

The Heavy was chuckling with lighthearted amusement as the Engineer slumped forward, his entire body limp as a bowl'a noodles, save for his hands which were coated in cleaning grease and spare parts while his Russian teammate rubbed his shoulders.

Scout's brain hadn't the chance to catch up with his body; before he had even recognised what was going on, he'd sprinted over to the large, Russian man who was pawing at the Engineer's shoulders with those big, sweaty mitts, and then crunched one well-aimed fist into the offender's ugly mug.

“You fuckin' dirty fuckin' faggot pinko – what the hell d'ya think yer – with ya fuckin' hands all over him ya freakin' fatso, Commie pig! Get the fuck – seriously fuckin' – get offa him!”

“!!!”

Surprise snapped both men to their feet, though on Heavy's end of things it was more of a stumble. He paused to touch a finger to his mouth, eyeing the small splotch of blood, bubbling from a new split lip, and then he roared with rage and went after the boy, swinging a giant arm at him in a misguided punch before his second lunge had the Scout hefted up into the air, giant hands grabbing fistfuls of his shirt.

Engineer just stared dumbfounded at the scene for a few brief moments before he shook himself out of it and jumped over, trying to pry the two grappling men apart. Though with the Russian's strength and size, and with Scout kicking about like that, it was damn near impossible.

“Both'a you! Cut this out _right_ now!!”

“SCOUT IS CRAZY! THINKS HE CAN HURT ME WITH TEENY BABY FISTS?! _HAH_!! I WILL _KRUSH_ HIM!”

“I'm gonna freakin' kill ya, ya fuckin' wuss! I'll freakin' kill ya!!”

Although this seemed kind of unlikely given his current position in the Heavy's tight grip; no matter how much he fought and kicked and squirmed and shouted, he couldn't move a damn inch. Up here, his fists were of no use, his flailing limbs struggled to even swing out, never mind trying to actually connect them with anything.

“Think ya can just fuckin'!! – with ya fuckin' dirty hands!! I'm gonna beat ya freakin' head in!”

“I WILL KEEL YOU FIRST!!”

“Now jus' _stoppit_!!” The Engineer shouted, his voice cracking from the aggression in it.

The Heavy growled and looked down toward the Engineer, his grip still tight on Scout's shirt, who was still struggling relentlessly.

“Put 'im down RIGHT NOW, otherwise I'm leavin' ya t'deal with Sasha yourself! Ya har me?! Put 'im down!”

A flicker of consideration contorted the Russians' expressive face, and with a grumbling sigh, he did put the Scout down. By dropping him.

Scout let out a pained grunt as he hit the floor suddenly. Fuckin' hell, that hurt... still, he wasn't the one with the fat lip! Hah! Slowly, and a little wobbly, Scout staggered to his feet, wiping his mouth on his hand. No blood, so that was a plus. Still, he felt pretty rattled from all that shaking and he was pretty sure more than just his ego had been bruised. 

“Da. But _Scout_ start it.”

“I know 'e did,” the Engineer mumbled, propping his hands on his hips and stepping between the two of them to eye him, “ 'n he ain't had no right to. But 'e's done now. Ain't that _right_ Scout.”

“Yeah, whatever...” he muttered. He wanted to fight him; wanted to beat his stupid brains in... but in saying that, he didn't really want to go mono 'a mono with those meaty fists. “I ain't takin' back what I said though. Freakin' –” thankfully, the rest of his words dropped down to a grumble, none of them being very nice.

The Engineer sighed, seemingly relieved. Yeah. Scout bet he was all cut up inside that Heavy had tried to hurt 'im. He was probably fuckin' _gutted_. Except instead of looking over at him and making sure _he_ was okay, he glanced toward the Heavy who was again, frowning at his thumb after it touched his lip. He stepped back over to reach up and pat one of those broad shoulders.

“Y'alright there?”

“Da,” Heavy replied, his small eyes cutting toward the Scout with a sudden sneer. “Cannot even _feel_ it.”

Finally, the Texan cleared his throat and placed his hands together as he eyed the mumbling Scout. Come on. Pay him some Goddamn attention over here. He'd only taken on the Heavy and come out on top over here.

“Now, I know you're too old fer this son, but why don't you jus' go to yer room 'n cool down...” He said after a minute, not exactly glaring but not lookin' entirely pleased either and certainly not looking like he was gonna pat _him_ on the shoulder and ask him if _he_ was okay, “Gonna be best fer everybody.”

“Are you fuckin' serious?” Scout shouted out suddenly, finding that suggestion more offensive than the Heavy pretending (yeah, _pretending_ ) he hadn't hurt him real bad.

“What am I, a freakin' kid?” He furiously kicked the tarp spread across the ground, not hard enough to knock anything about (although he'd wanted to, he'd _really_ fuckin' wanted to). His temper was rising again and so was the urge to ram an elbow between the Heavy's beady eyes.

“Can't we jus’ talk or something?”

“We can talk _after_ I've finished up here 'n you've had time to get over whatever it is that crawled up yer hindquarters,” the Engineer spat back, and he nodded momentarily at the Russian before taking Scout by the shoulders and practically pushing him all the way back to the door.

“Y'can't just go around actin' like a brat 'nless you wanna get treated like one. Now git t'yer room 'n read a comic book 'r something.”

“Fucks sake, y'can't just...” Scout tried to protest but there was no use arguing with an Engineer who had their mind mad up. He snorted, and then shrugged off the Engineer's hands, “Yeah, okay. I can see myself out. Jesus, I get it.”

Scout continued walking, not looking back, not wanting to see them laughing at him – which he could fucking hear the Heavy doing. Scout made sure to kick the door frame on the way out, leaving a filthy sole print on the wood grain.

“Go enjoy ya fuckin' kissin’ fest, ya bunch 'a queers. See if I give a fuck.”


	4. I'd just be fool enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Engineer has officially had enough of Scout's shenanigans.

Engineer sighed as he watched the door swing shut, just standing there and feeling utterly ridiculous and embarrassed over the whole thing – until he heard the Russian moving about the tarp again.

“Strange leetle man,” Heavy mused in his thick accent, sitting back down among the pieces of his beloved. “We can finish this now? Please?”

“Yeah, m'sorry 'bout that, partner,” Engineer was quick to reply, hurrying over and kneeling down next to the tools to search out the right screwdriver. “We'll get yer girl back together in no time.”

'n then, _then_ he'd have a few choice words for that damn Scout.

At the very least, the Engineer was able to distract himself with his work; even with what had just happened, he never did any job half-assed and he worked with careful diligence in removing the metal casing of the spindle and cleaning the inside. The loose particle just seemed to be some calcified buildup, but he gave the entire piece a good once over before both men began to put the minigun back together.

When that was completed, the Heavy hefted the weapon into his arms, and they both grinned in victory as Sasha growled to life and the barrels gave a perfect spin.

The Russian was cheerful as ever in expressing his thanks, and Engineer near about had the stuffing squeezed out of him when he was hugged right off the ground – but he was more than happy to have helped. He then left the Training Room, frowning down the hall. He had to pass the Scout's room either way, the problem was whether or not he wanted to talk to him at all...

...damnit.

When he reached that door, he swung it open and snapped his fingers to get the boy's attention, wherever he was inside. “You c'mon with me,” he ordered, and then kept on down the hall. His workshop was his next destination.

Engineer heard the Scout stumbling about after him, but he kept his pace, taking wide strides, for his height, anyway, wanting to just get to his damn room as soon as possible. At least he felt more comfortable there. And it was private. They had a lot of shit to sort through – ' _moving on_ ’ wasn't as good of a plan as he'd initially hoped.

Once inside the workshop, he stopped around the room to switch on the lights, not once giving his attention to the Scout until _every_ other detail was in order first. And then he leaned against his workbench, folded his arms and stared the Bostonian down.

“ _Now_ y'can talk.”

The Scout was positively squirming with apprehension, and now, under the scrutiny of the Engineer's gaze, was a proverbial deer in the headlights.

“Uh...” He started and then stopped. The boy's hands were shaking and he was curling them and uncurling them by his sides, thumbing the cloth strips bound across his palms. “Uh... Well,” he swallowed hard and tried again, “So, uh, is he your type or what?”

“–Mah _what_?”

Engineer's stern expression quickly dissolved. His _type_? He thought back to all of that shouting in the Training Room, and unfortunately just too many pieces were starting to come together.

He felt that all to familiar frustration bubbling up in his chest, but he just took a slow, deep breath and repressed it.

“Son, there's somethin' wrong with yer wiring. Why on Earth would you go thinkin' something like that?”

Scout suddenly looked sheepish, his fingers digging in his belt loops and avoiding looking at the Engineer as if his own words embarrassed him, “Well, I dunno … cus ya were talkin' to him or whatever. And cus ya were all,” he paused, and then shrugged – attempting to look nonchalant but just coming off as sullen, “ _touching_ each other and stuff. And cus ya wanted me to leave, I guess. And cus ya wanted him around so bad, or somethin'. Geez, I dunno.”

“... so I ain't allowed to touch anyone I don't find attractive, s'at it? Or work with 'em, fer that matter. Yanno, workin' with _machines and weapons_ – which is what I _do_ here, the reason they call me the dag ol' Engineer in the first place!” He felt his pulse beginning to throb in his temple, and once again he paused – breathed – and sighed.

“The hell d'you care fer anyway...”

“No, I just thought –“ Scout frowned, frustrated and impatient, “I just thought, I mean – I don't _care_ – I just wondered if he was your type or whatever. I mean, I dunno. Well, I _do_. I know ya the Engineer or whatever, I just... I mean he had his hands all freakin' _ovah_ you, man. It was just freakin' gross. Not that I care, if that's what you're into. Some big, gross, fuckin', fat Commie pig.”

“Now you jus' watch yer mouth, boy. Heavy ain't done nothin' wrong an' I won't have you insultin' him fer no reason.” The Engineer didn't budge an inch, not moving away or getting any closer to the Scout, but his shoulders were squaring, feeling more tense by the second. “My back was hurtin' from the damn fightin' today, and ya came in while he was workin' a knot out in my shoulder. Wasn't _nothin'_ sly goin' on.”

“Yeah, whatever. Looked pretty sly to me.” Scout shuffled where he stood, frown deepening, “Well, next time I walk in on ya gettin' all felt up, I'm just gonna leave ya there. Last time I risk my neck t'fuckin' help ya.”

“T' _help_ me? You get a case'a the green-eyed monster 'n embarrass me in front'a one'a my teammates 'n you think that _helped me_?”

This time the Engineer did step closer, shaking his head while his hands absently fisted over and over again at his sides. “This ain't about me one bit, son. I don't know what yer playin' at 'r if yer really are this messed up, but I ain't the one with the problem.”

“No! It ain't like that at all!” Scout protested, though a tinge of red washed over his cheeks. “You think I'm freakin' jealous? Is that it? Hah. What a fuckin' joke. Who in their right freakin' mind would be jealous ovah you?”

Scout didn't move when the Engineer took that first step towards him but he was fidgeting like a damn rabbit, looking like he was fighting the desire to run.

The Engineer frowned, his upper lip nearly snarling away from his teeth in distaste. This was beyond frustrating. It was beyond old. And it sure as hell wasn't a routine he fancied himself having to get used to.

But fine, Scout wanted to go ahead and deny it? That was alright with him; but he sure as hell wasn't about to make it easy on him.

Nah, he'd get a little _underhanded_.

“Issat right... Then what if ol' Heavy _is_ my type.”

Now. The Engineer reckoned there were a number of things that made Scout behave the way he did. Most were obvious, if not contradictory, at least from the Engineer’s perspective. He was repressed, that was sure as heck; at least to everyone but the Scout, perhaps.

And sure, that mostly explained all of his annoying nuances away; that goddamn fidgeting and that jumpy nervous look he so often got. And of course, seemed he was just naturally impatient and impulsive and rash, which made trying to reason with him just out of the equation entirely. And yet there was a pattern to it. For all his impetuous nature, Scout was predictably, Scout.

However, no manner of spontaneity could have ever explained what he did next.

Scout moved forward suddenly, red-faced in both fury and possibly shame, and then for a split second the Engineer though he was going to hit him and he reflexively tensed up. That was, until the Scout closed the gap between them, hands fisting the older man's collar as he recklessly pressed his mouth against the Engineer's.

“!!”

The Engineer's eyes widened and he just stood there as if he'd been struck dumb. No, it wasn't what he'd been expecting. Not at all. Memories of the Scout jumping away from him like he had the damn plague, and now – those lips were warm and eager, but as much as he felt his body starting to relax, he just...

Shit, he couldn't! What the hell was goin' on?!

He braced his hands onto the Scout's chest and shoved him back at an arm's length, taking a deep breath and, despite how badly he wanted to glare at the boy, his expression was just... exasperated.

“Scout, no.” He growled, his shoulders heaving with soft pants. He hated that this all felt so out of control. He hated that the Scout was so much taller, making him feel small. He hated that he had to argue with his body to keep from kissing him again – he just hated all of it.

“ _Please_ , son. You _gotta_ talk t'me. I can't keep this up.”

“I... I don't freakin' know, all right?” Scout exhaled, his breath shaky, his eyes still closed but his body stiff with tension, “Jus' that ever since that night you and I fuckin'... just... and I can't stop thinkin' about it. I just can't freakin' deal wit' it anymore. I just don't fuckin'... I don't know frickin' anything, all right?”

The Texan watched the Scout's face carefully, taking note of everything. The way the corners of his mouth twitched as he struggled for words, the way his thin eyebrows knit together...

“Ya like what I can do for ya,” he mused aloud in a rather somber tone, nodding along with the suggestion because – hell, all signs pointed to it. Scout hated what he was doing to get off, that much was obvious, but that didn't mean the temptation couldn't still be there.

Scout let out a heavy sigh, and some of that tension visibly unwound from his shoulders, “Yeah. Basically, I guess.”

“I mean, I just kind 'a wanta ya to, you know. I don't wanna be hung up on all 'a this but I kind of... like it. Sort of, uh, maybe. I uh –” 

He looked like he wanted to defend himself against the implications, but stopped short.

Well. That was a start.

Engineer nodded slowly, taking that admittance as a sign that, maybe, they could finally start making some leeway with this. He knew that the subject couldn't be dropped now – he couldn't bear it. It was all or nothin', everything was gonna be bared and dealt with. 'n that was that.

“Look, Scout...” He cleared his throat for a moment to collect his thoughts, and his hands left the boy's chest after he realised he'd been holding them there. He took his hardhat off and plucked his goggles up to set them on his brow, his expression worn and wearing but nevertheless determined.

“If yer straight as an arrow 'n just, yanno, dealin' with bein' out here... that's one thing. 'n that's fine. But... if yer not, 'n yer just... _scared_. Well, that's somethin' else entirely.”

“I'm not!” Scout retorted as soon as the suggestion he was merely 'scared' was voiced. His eyes snapped up to the Engineer's as if daring him to object.

Except his resolve seemed to soften, the Engineer's weariness maybe rubbing off on him, “Well... I mean... I dunno. I never, y'know, done this b'fore.”

“It's fine bein' unsure, alright? Plenny'a curious boys in the world. But... I gotta be honest with ya. I jus'... wish I had what ya need, but I ain't too sure I do. I don't think I'm suited fer helpin' you through... whatever it is yer goin' through. If'n you ever wanna talk about it, I'm happy t'lend an ear, but... doin' what we been doin', it don't feel right. Not if it's just fer experiments' sake. That ain't fair t'either one've us.”

Engineer glanced down at his feet as he spoke, turning his hardhat over in his hands as if he were suddenly fascinated with them. “... s'that make any sense t'ya?”

“So if I tell ya that I'm some kinda queer – not that I am or nothin' – you'll let me keep on, then?” Scout seemed to mull this over a minute, chewing his lower lip in consideration, “And if I'm just 'makin' do' or whatever the hell ya called it, with bein' here, then... then that's okay too? Is that what ya sayin'? … but not if I'm – not that I seriously am, far out would ya settle down – 'trying it out'? Cus that's … _not_ okay? Is that what ya tellin' me?”

“I just need t'know _what_ yer doin', boy. Yer intentions. I ain't one'a those people who can jus' go on with somethin' if they don't understand it,” Engineer muttered, his jaw idly working as he swallowed and just tossed his hardhat over to his small bed against the wall. He was feelin' like a fool just playing with the damn thing like that. “I need t'understand things. I gotta know how it works. So I gotta know how _this_ is gonna work.”

“Yeah, well... I guess... I don't really want to stop or nothin'.” Scout muttered, shuffling uncomfortably, eyes darting around the room, “I mean, I don't know what that makes me – not some kinda cockfag queer or whatever ya were hopin' fer – but I mean, thinkin' about ya and stuff... Uh. I don't actually want to stop. I mean, for freakin' real, this time.”

The Engineer watched Scout just about as closely as he could without actually grabbing the boy's face and flat out staring from inches away. It was still like trying to read a foreign language, though. So hard to interpret. And that put him on edge. But he was listening, though. To every word the Scout said. He wasn't sure if it was hope that was making his gut turn in knots, or dread. Or maybe just the unknown – either was, he'd bear through it. They were almost there.

“... you sure?”

Finally, Scout looked up at the other man.

And maybe the boy was difficult to read – the way he was jitterin' about, rubbing his palms together and wringing his wrists, scuffing his feet against the floor while looking somewhere between impatient and just damn confused. But if anything, he was earnest; those clear blue eyes not betraying what he was feeling, not trying to hide or suppress it. Not that it meant he understood it, but hell, he was trying at least.

Again, the Texan hated his size – it would've just made things so much easier if he could've been the one looking down at the Scout, to flash him a reassuring smile and pat him on the head or... somethin' cliché like that. But that wasn't the case, and as he often did (yet never mentioned), the man found himself shifting his weight on his feet, trying to stand in a way that would boost the height he did have to its fullest potential. Still didn't amount to much though.

So... hell, to compensate, he grabbed the front of Scout's shirt and just tugged him down. There; eye level. That'd do.

“Jus' one thing,” he myttered, staring hard at each other boy's eyes. “ _Respect_ me. S'all you gotta do.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay. I got it. Whatever. Geez.”

And the kid was nodding, sure, but well, Engineer was staring too much at the kid's eyes _not_ to see where they were directed, and it most certainly wasn't his . He wasn't _blind_ after all, just a little... obtuse when it came to emotional guessin' games. But he was catching on now. Real quick.

Scout was batting off his request, and he doubted he'd even heard him but – shit, he could just come to that bridge when they crossed it, right? Maybe this was enough fer the kid to learn his lesson.

… alright, that was hopin' for too much. He knew that. But as long as he didn't have to be reminded how 'gross' he was for bein' a 'faggot', he could tolerate this. He could. Should he? He had no fuckin' clue. Probably not.

He was second-guessing himself.

Fuck it. He settled the battle in his mind by just yanking the Scout closer to diminish the distance and capture his smart little mouth.

“Nhn!” Scout jolted backwards, but didn't break that contact, instead letting himself be kissed. And then suddenly the boy's fingers were moving up, fisting the collar of Engineer's shirt as he dragged him closer.

Now this was a far cry from having to endure the Scout's knee-jerk reactions; he remembered how the boy's lips had been on his neck one minute, driving him damn near euphoria, and then he was being shoved clear away as if _he'd_ been the one doing it.

But this felt different – it felt mutual and wanted and not just needed for a quick fix. He liked that. Engineer dropped his hands from Scout's shirt, and his arms twisted about his thin waist instead to bring them even closer together. His gut pressed into the very top of those lean hips and he found himself distracted by the kid's taste. There was a sweet... almost sour kinda flavour lingering there. Maybe it was those damn sodas he liked so much. Either way, wasn't half bad.

Scout parted his lips, a warm tongue now delving into the Engineer's mouth, which the older man was only too happy to oblige, while the boy's fingers sliced up and down his collar. The Engineer groaned in response – he didn't know how much experience the Scout had with kissing (he doubted it was as much as he boasted, either way), but he seemed to be doing a _damn_ fine job. He let that agile tongue whether it wanted he he just hummed with approval, drawing on the muscle and enjoying his taste.

Eventually, however, he drew himself back; not just to breathe but to glance around his workshop. The nearest thing wasn't his bed – no, it was a worktable littered in papers. That'd do. With his arms still tangled around Scout's waist, he gave him a firm push backwards and backed him up against the edge of the table, pinning him there.

“Hnh!” Scout grunted, finding himself pinned and he laughed, breathlessly, “Jesus, Engie. Ya love'ta play rough, don't ya?”

Scout's arms shifted to grip the table, holding himself back up against it while he rocked his hips forward, grinding the stiffening length in the front of his trousers up against the Engineer. A chuckle passed Engineer's lips as he glanced down, dragging one of his smaller toolboxes over with his foot before he stood up on it to gain the height that he lacked. Good; practical problem solved.

“S'prised?” He smirked.

Scout grinned back at him, tongue licking over his front teeth, “Yeah, I guess not.” And then Engineer's hands were groping about the boy's waist until they'd grabbed fistfuls of that blue and yanked it up 'n off.

Scout squirmed out of his shirt, bending down once it was up and over his head to capture the Engineer's lips in another heated kiss. Engineer couldn't help but muffle a satisfied sound into the Scout's mouth, taking his turn to push his tongue past those lips and taste every part of him. His wide hands settled on the boy's sides, slowly dragging down and feeling each rib and then the narrow, slight curve of his long waist.

Damn, they were like night 'n day – the Scout was all stretched sinew and flesh, while he himself was practically sporting damn love handles in that same spot. He could feel that smooth, hairless jaw brushing against his own rough and stubbled one as he kissed him at new angles, and those hands on him, now frantically catching the straps of the Engineer's overalls and trying to pull them down, seemed so eager and blind while his own tried so _damn_ hard to be slow and sure.

But the Scout was never and had never been slow and sure, and he panted and gasped and writhed under the deliberate pace of the Engineer's hands scraping down his skin. “F-fuck, just... fuckin' I can't...”

The Engineer's hands were roaming along the belt of Scout's pants when he heard that stuttering, and his eyes darted up again to carefully watch over his face.

“Y'alright...?”

He wasn't sure if the kid was changing his mind already, or if he was just impatient. Again. The latter was seeming more likely the more he thought it over, but if he didn't check to make sure, he'd potentially be left kickin' himself over it.

“I need it. I need it freakin' bad.” If the answer didn't make Scout's intention obvious enough, the way he rasped it out, certainly did.

And if that breathless timbre wasn't enough, his fingers grasping Engineer by the wrist, dragging his hand down and forcing it to cup his stiff length through the front of his pants provided further evidence of his painful arousal. He exhaled shakily, hips jutting forward again, “Come on, just... freakin'... please...”

“Seems yer _always_ needin' it 'bad',” Engineer muttered, his attention focused on his own hand as it squeezed slowly over the bulge in the Scout's pants. _Mmn_ , yes siree, he wasn't lyin'. Maybe when the kid had been unintentionally boasting about his libido, there was some truth in it.

“Yeah, well... Call me fuckin' deprived as shit.” Scout exhaled through his teeth, nails digging into the edge of the work table he was pressed up against.

“Guess I shouldn't keep ya waitin' then.”

Engineer's fingertips dragged themselves down the shape of that length before he went about hastily unfastening the belt and then handling the button and zipper. There, much better. He gently fished out Scout's stiff erection, giving it a stroke between his first two fingers and thumb, which earned a quiet hiss from the Scout, before he paused to give that blushing face some attention. 

“What d'you want me _t'do_ with you, boy?”

“U... Uh, well.” He swallowed hard, and a flicker of uncertainty crossed his features before it was replaced with a cocky grin although his blush darkened, “I'm thinkin'. Maybe. Ya could give me some kinda, like, I don't know, blow job?”

“Reckon I _could_ show ya how it's supposed to be done...”

A smirk tugged at the corner of the man's lips and he smoothed both palms down the Scout's legs until he caught the back of his thighs and hefted him up onto the table. He then pushed the boy's thin knees apart and stepped down from his toolbox, one again sliding it across the floor with his foot.

Scout rocked his hips impatiently, “Yeah, whatever, y'know. I ain't no f– er, I mean, I ain't never done that before. I mean, on girls. Sure. Tons’a times. Like more than I can count. But that ain’t a blow job.”

Engineer was chuckling to himself, well prepared to just brush off whatever was going to come out of the Scout's mouth – but then when it actually _did_ and it was _that_ , well... he couldn't help but stop and just stare at the kid incredulously.

“Never done it? ...you been hit on the head recently, son?” he asked with a brow arched in disbelief. “Ya don't black out once yer outta yer britches 'r nothin', do ya?”

“N-nah. I just don't know what you're talkin' about or nothin'. Er...” He squirmed uncomfortably under that scrutiny, “Listen. It was nothin' like that if I'm gettin' at what ya thinkin' about. That was just a, uh, thing... that happened. That wasn't like, my mouth on ya, er,” followed by an awkward hand gesture, “whatever. And it wasn't like, I mean, it wasn't like I wanted to or nothin'. It was more like, I didn't have... I mean, it would've gone everywhere if I didn't you know uh, catch it, and I uh... fell. And then I figured, ya know, I'm like here or whatever so I may as well – the point bein' , I didn't actually you know, _do it_.”

“Oh, issat right? Well I'll be...”

Engineer scratched over his head with a grunt, feigning acceptance of that subpar, ridiculous excuse. Were he not a little busy with the current situation between Scout's legs, he probably would have had a good laugh over it. But he'd just save that for another time.

“Now that's a real shame, boy. Lemme tell ya...” he sighed and shook his head, idly clicking his tongue in dismay. “See, if _that's_ how it was, then I reckon I don't really owe ya nothin' at all. Course, if that _ain't_ the case, then a lil' touch'a honestly 'll have to be rewarded _real_ good.”

“Listen. _Listen_.” The Scout squirmed, speaking suddenly, pushing his hips up as if reminding the Engineer that he 'needed it real bad'. Scout ran his hands up his thighs, letting out a soft impatient breath.

“I don't think ya quite understand the peh-dic-ah-ment I'm in ovah here. Listen. All right. Listen. Maybe. I mean _maybe_ – I'd be willin' to learn or whatever. Or I could like, trip or whatever and maybe, _maybe_ I might end up, I mean, well... doin' _that_. I mean, think of it as a kinda future investment or somethin' if it helps.”

The boy straightened up slightly, “But there's no freakin' way I'm sayin' I did it – cus it was freakin' _not_ for a second like that at all. Now would’ja hurry up and get’ta blowin’ already?”

Engineer's brows gave a slight twitch and he braced both hands onto the table, leaning forward to get a good and close to Scout's face.

“Don't pay to be stubborn, son. M'sure you'll learn that one'a these days...” He glanced down at that hard little problem area for a moment – but then with a casual shrug, he smiled and stepped back, hands thrusting themselves into his deep pockets.

“Cause I was gonna _blow_ that dumb look right off yer stupid face.”

“Wait, w-wait. Jesus Christ. Fuckin' wait a second,” the boy spluttered out almost immediately, “Okay. _Maybe_... Maybe I did … I mean, for a second or somethin'... cus... cus I felt like it or whatever. Yeah. _Maybe_ I sucked on ya cock. Okay. So maybe I did that. And not that I'm some kinda queer or nothin', but maybe, jus' _maybe_ , I was thinkin' or somethin', man, I hope I can get him to, y'know, fuckin' come in my mouth, cus maybe... _maybe_ that was kinda freakin' turning me on.”

Now, the Engineer did his best to look unfazed  
as the boy lit up with those stuttering protests again but by the end, he was grinning, given just what he wanted. Scout had one dirty little mouth on him, and when he used it the _right_ way, boy was it effective.

“Well! I s'pose if ya put it _that_ way...” He took a step closer, his hands sliding free to slip beneath the boy's knees and yank, drawing his hips toward the edge of the work table. “I ought'a apologise fer not fillin' yer mouth when I had the chance. Won't make that mistake again, don't you worry.”

The boy was now bucking his hips impatiently (heck, everything he did was impatient), his hands curling against that wooden surface. “Y-yeah, well, don't ya... ya fuckin' forget it, hardhat.” Scout sucked in a few short breaths before continuing, “Maybe we can repeat the experience after... after ya show me how.”

“Mebbe so... if yer good,” Engineer rumbled; his hands taking a moment to tug Scout's pants off entirely, having to knock his shoes off as well.

He wanted as much room to work with as possible, so once those thin, muscular legs were bared to him, he hitched one up against his own shoulder, giving the strong thigh a kneading squeeze of measurement.

“Jus' relax now, 'n watch carefully. Hear me?” He was already wetting his lips.

“Y-yeah, all right... Whatev...” Scout trailed off with a moan as Engineer wrapped calloused digits around the base of his cock to heft the solid weight up. “F-ff....”

A warm exhale was blown against the skin before he just barely flicked his tongue over the lip of that rosy head, and then pitched his chin up to brush the rough drag of his stubble across the same spot. This earned a quiet whine from Scout who was staring down at him like he was witnessing something amazing.

The calloused pad of Engineer's thumb slowly stroked up and down along the underside of the boy's cock, tracing the throbbing vein that gave such a satisfying pulsation against his touch. He considered giving a proper lecture; teaching was one thing he never minded when the students were captive enough, and this was definitely a set of skills (not that he could boast of being better than the next person – but he knew a few things here 'n there) he wanted to pass on, for his own potential benefit.

“First rule'a knowin' if yer doin' a good job is the pulse. Gonna feel it right _here_ ,” Engineer muttered under his breath, his thumb pressing into that vein just a bit harder for that brief moment and above him Scout choked out a whimper. “More it's thumpin', better yer doin'.”

Engineer smirked up at the Scout for a moment, then he squeezed all of his digits around that base and, after wetting his lips again, they closed around the warm tip of that cock, tightening up right on contact and then dragging lower to draw more of him in.

“Y... Yeah... All right. Ya got... _Jesus_... Ya got anythin' else, overalls?” For all his tough attitude, Scout was whimpering and squirming under his mouth.

To that question, the Engineer just let out a deep, rolling hum. He could practically feel the sound vibrating through his lips and into that stiff cock himself, and he peered up toward Scout's face to watch those features contort while his tongue flattened out along the underside of his shaft, slowly washing across the warm skin back and forth. Scout's was panting now, breath coming out as short, staggered gasps through those red, bitten lips while the leg hooked over the Engineer's shoulder tensed, heel digging into his shoulder, trying to drag him closer.

“I... Oh... God... Please, can you jus' fuckin' please, come on man, oh g-geez, can you just...”

Engineer shifted to get more comfortable, his shorter legs spreading a little so that he could ease further down and one elbow propped itself on the table for support. He once again grunted in response to the Scout's words and his eyes slipped closed, wantonly focusing on what his mouth was doing.

And he liked it, _boy_ , did he like it. There was just somethin' about having your mouth tend to somethin' so strong and _muscular_ , yet still end up with its owner whimpering and shivering by the time you were done. If ya handled things right, a'course. It was just like a machine; he knew where all the buttons were, he just had to test them all out and discover what did what.

His tongue swirled up to pass back over the head of the boy's cock, and when it picked up that bitter musky taste that had been beading there, he shuddered and one of his hands went down to the crotch of his overalls, rubbing eagerly at the bulge hiding underneath the slack in fabric. He didn't want or need to take his time anymore, and he began to bob his head, just taking in one inch at a time until those shallow movements evolved into deeper ones – he just kept sucking on the kid's hard shaft, hard and unrelenting on the way up while he loosened enough to reclose and adjust his lips on the way back down. The sounds were wet and impolite, a mess of saliva was already dribbling down his chin, but he didn't even notice.

Scout keened beneath him, throwing his head back and his body forward, “Oh, please, Engie, Engie, Engie, please.” A hand moved up to rake his short nails over the skin of his chest, voice hitching as they caught the pinky skin of his nipples, “E-Engie, come on, fuck, yeah, oh God, that feels fuckin', feels fuckin', don't stop, G-God, gonna, oh, I'm fuckin' gonna...”

Scout's words were frantic, mirrored only by the movements of his hips which were rocking jerkily against that mouth, punctuated by soft gasps and hisses of pleasure. Engineer was only spurred on by that, every comment, every sound that came out of the younger man's throat. He loosened his own and ducked down with a bit of effort, and when he felt that tip hitting just past the hard ridges on the roof of his mouth, he thought for a second that he might gag – but he steadied himself, taking a slow breath through his nose and then swallowed to tighten every muscle, to squeeze that hot shaft and milk the pleasure right out of it.

And suddenly Scout was shouting and hunching forward and Engineer could feel Scout's cock tightening against his tongue, those twitches seeming to spams through him harder and quicker than before he felt those rounded nails digging into his scalp and then thick liquid heat spurted onto his tongue.

“Oh my fuckin' – Engie! Fuck! Oh my God, Engie, Engie, Engie, Engie.”

The last words were no more than a series of choked gasps, repeated like a mantra as his entire body shook with his orgasm, and then trembled as it faded. The taste and the musky scent of his come was near overpowering and the Engineer groaned deeply, continuing to tongue that weeping slit for a few moments while the Scout rode out his climax.

“Kiss me, fuckin' jus' fuckin', please, kiss, need it f-fuck.” Scout panted, hands scrambled now at his shoulders, trying to pull him up.

But only after that uncontrollable tensing and shuddering began to fade did the Engineer pull back, his lips separating from that spent length with a wet pop before he gasped for a nice, proper breath. But he didn't have time to stop; instead his hands eagerly grabbed the boy's hips and dragged him closer along the table, his stout frame leaning over it so that he could reach Scout's mouth and all but collide his own against it. He still had the boy's taste on him, and he made sure to aggressively fit his tongue in past the boy's lips to let him have a sample.

Scout hungrily drank it up, his own tongue sliding over the Engineer's, licking up his own seed in the older man's mouth and swallowing it down. Engineer couldn't help but squeeze himself between his legs as that tongue played with his own – when he wanted it, the kid showed some damn fine talent. Scout's thighs moved to dig in against the Engineer's sides, while his arms wound around his neck and drew him in, kissing him hard, deeper.

Engineer was reluctant that the contact ended as soon as it did, Scout pulling back, face pink with exertion and eyelids heavy with a haze that seemed to linger on. However, Engineer was equally grateful for the opportunity to catch his breath again; his head was nearly swimming with heat, and he could feel his lips tingling, red and slightly swollen from all of the work.

“Atta boy... liked that, did'ja...”

“Mhm.” Scout mumbled, grinning breathlessly and touching his lips somewhat gingerly, “Yeah, mhm, it was... pretty freakin' all right.”

Scout let out a long, wavering breath and allowed his eyes to close. His arms loosened around the Engineer's neck, now moved to drape languidly over his shoulders. A lazy smirk of his own crossed over the Engineer's face and he chuckled, licking his lips and pressing another kiss to the boy's hot, blushed cheek before he settled onto one of his elbows again for leverage. He waited for his pulse to slow down and reached up, unhooking that leg from where it was still wrapped up over him but had slipped down a bit from his shoulder. Scout was damn flexible, he'd give him that much.

“Hope ya learned a lil' somethin'...”

Scout continued to grin as he slumped backwards, bonelessly. He lingered there a moment before slowly, he opened his eyes and stared at the Engineer. His lips twisted as he tried to contain a rather cocky smirk.

“Yeah... Yeah, ya can probably say that. But I dunno, Engie. Ya think it's time for a 'pop quiz', if ya get what I'm sayin'?”

“If yer up for it, son,” Engineer drawled under his breath, his tongue swiping over the front of his teeth before he straightened up and took a step back.

Gah, he felt old sometimes. He sat a hand against the small of his spine and arched until the satisfying pop he was looking for was heard, which had him sighing instantly with a little slouch of relief. Scout, however, was already scrambling to his knees. The younger man's hands moved to run up the sides of his legs, while his cheek pressed against his hip.

And then hesitated, “Hey, uh, maybe you should, sit down or somethin'. I mean, pretty sure I'm about to blow ya freakin' mind. Woah, double like, freakin' uh... meanin' there. Sometimes I amaze myself, y'know.”

Just Scout's hands running over his body was enough to get him shivering, but he could also feel the boy's breath soaking into the fabric of his overalls – and that suggestion came at the perfect time, because his damn knees felt like they were starting to give out.

“Ah... good idea there, slick,” the Engineer muttered with a sheepish grin.

He passed his hand over the top of the younger man's head before crossing the workshop to slouch down on the edge of his bed. Much more comfortable than taking turns on that hard work table. Scout followed him there, redundantly dusting off his knees before dropping back down onto them in front of the older man. His fingers reached out, running up and down his calves now, still trapped beneath the coarse fabric, before sliding up along his thighs and tentatively moving in between them.

Then Scout leant in, setting his mouth against that strained stretch of fabric at the seam of the man's lap, just using his warmth and his breath to tease the length caught there.

Engineer swallowed and shifted on the small bed, hooking a few fingers beneath the collar of his shirt to tug at it. Damn, it was like a fuckin' sauna... His hands then slid down his chest, unhooking the clasps of the straps so that he could pull the front down, but did little else for the moment, too busy staring at the top of the younger man's head as it sat against his groin.

“Filthy sunavabitch, ain't ya,” he growled under his breath, passing a hand over the shortly cropped hair and then squeezing and kneading the back of his thin neck.

Every puffed exhale was like a warm, moist heat right through his cock, and it was making the fact that he was still clothed outright tormenting. Scout raked his teeth over the seam now, letting out a soft groan before shifting back just enough for his hand to move up and finger the shaft. His tongue then moved, following his fingertips as they teasingly traced up that length.

It was getting to be far beyond teasing, though, and he pitched his weight up so that he could stuff his thumbs underneath the sides of his overalls and began to shimmy the damn things down.

“I gatta get some... nh, damn easier clothes to take off...” he huffed, finally sitting back down once the denim and cotton of his boxer shorts was much more comfortably at his knees, allowing his thick, red erection to spring free in the cooler air.

“Mhm, yeah, you want your freakin' prick in my mouth, don't ya? Jesus Christ, would ya look at you?” Scout inhaled sharply, tongue flicking out to lick across a growing damp streak at the front of those overalls. “Y'jus' want it so bad.”

“Ah yeah, 'n you're jus' rarin' for it, huh,” Engineer replied back, his hips rocking forward on the mattress.

He didn't think he'd _ever_ feel this way, but he'd never been more grateful that a mother was so unable to teach her son some damn manners. That mouth of his was driving him crazy.

But once that cock was free, Scout, thankfully, didn't waste much more time.

“Fff... fuck. Would ya look at that fuckin' thing?” Scout licked his lips, hand winding around the base of the Engineer's shaft and giving it a gentle squeeze, “Fuckin' wants it so bad... Jus' so fuckin' bad, huh? Bet I could make ya fuckin' beg it wants it so bad.”

And then finally, _finally_ that mouth moved in, though damnably only to breathe up against his length, Scout feeling the weight against his cheek as his hand started to slide up and down, the other moving to cradle the Engineer's balls, kneading them gently.

“Mm... s'right, son. Jus' like 'at,” Engineer groaned under his breath, his head tipping back with a tightly-controlled yearning.

He could hold out'n wait for it; impatience was one thing, but he also knew never to rush a damn good thing when you had it. He'd sit back and enjoy it, even if that meant biting clear through his lip and shivering like he'd been dumped at Coldfront naked as the day he was born. His stomach tightened; heat was already coiling right in his gut and he didn't know if he'd last nearly as long as Scout did... but then again, shit, this weren't no contest.

Suddenly the hand on his cock was replaced by a mouth, lips closing over the head and sucking hungrily at his slit, tongue dragging across it and gathering up pre-come. Engineer's eyes snapped open and he made sure to get a good look down south before his vision started crossing. Just seeing the Scout's snarky lips wrapped around his cock sent sparks right up his spine, and at that moment he probably would have forgiven him for every damn stupid thing he'd ever said right then and there.

His knees spread themselves out a bit more – as far as they would go while his clothes were still bunched between his legs, anyway – and he leaned back on a palm, the other set of fingers scratching lines up the back of the boy's head over and over.

“Ahh fuck... Scout... _ngh_.”

Scout was moaning now, those hot, pink lips tightening up around the Engineer's thick girth as his head began to bob, pausing with each pass upwards to give his cock head a tight suck while his tongue scraped a circle around its ridge, and then back down again, nose brushing against the Engineer's pelvis.

The Engineer's head tipped back again and he groaned in a hot puff of breath, his thighs tensing with every shudder that wracked through his broad frame. He wasn't exactly a hard man to please – he could appreciate any attempt, unskilled or not, but with this... hell, it didn't even matter. Scout could sway even the pickiest tastes, he knew that for a fact. The fact fact the boy had swallowed him entirely was already downright _admirable_ in that... behind closed doors kinda way, and he keened and arched, muttering deep praises under his breath.

“Ngh... k-keep it up, boy. Take it all down...”

Scout choked slightly when that cock slid in a little too far with a sudden buck up, but Scout was undeterred, taking that thick wedge in his throat and forcing himself not to pull back. 

Engineer's hand twisted into a fist in Scout's hair, catching what short strands it could before he lost control of his better sense and thrust his hips up to fuck himself into the boy's mouth. When he kept hitting the back of his throat, a groaned pulled from his own each time those warm and wet muscles contracted around him. But he couldn't even hold onto that very long, and when he felt his resolve faltering, he hissed a breath in through his teeth and jerked Scout's head back, pulling himself free and taking his shaft in hand with quick, rapid jerks.

“A-ahm gonna... keep yer mouth open...”

The Engineer's fist loosened so that he could just palm the top of Scout's head, keeping him tipped back enough to get a good look at the boy's flushed, panting face. The sight was enough to elicit a fiery burn of lust in his gut and it only took a few more hasty jerks on his cock before everything seemed to unhinge and uncoil and he was coming. Engineer captured a strained groan between his teeth and watched as his seed splashed across the Scout's cheeks, lips and tongue, and as soon as he'd squeezed every last bit out of himself he sighed heavily, slumping back with a light bounce from the mattress.

“Lord Al _mighty_...”

Dizzily, the Scout opened his eyes. He swallowed the come down in his mouth. Then he licked his ruddy lips, lapping up the come that had splattered across that too, and then, unthinkingly touched his wet cheeks, gathering up Engineer's release against his fingertips before licking that up as well, tongue sliding over his digits before sinking them into his mouth to suck on.

When he was finished his hand dropped down beside him heavily, and his gaze dropped too, mumbling quietly, “G-Geez... F... Frickin' gross...”

The Engineer was dizzy as he watched, but he'd be damned if he could tear his eyes away from the sight. It took a bit of effort to get himself righten again, but once he did he carefully brushed the rough pads of his fingertips over the Scout's cheek, the touch following to the back of his head and then down his neck, where he gave a gentle tug and began moving aside to get the boy up on his bed.

“C'mon, easy now...”

“Y-yeah...” Scout choked out after a minute, using the back of his palm to wipe his sweaty forehead, “I'm okay. J-Jesus.”

Scout climbed up beside the other man, stretching out with a soft groan. Engineer watched him for a moment, and then with a shift, he pulled off his own shirt, using it to carefully clean up the rest of the boy's face. He quickly spit on the material first to make sure he didn't smear an even sticker mess on Scout's skin, but he made sure that part wasn't seen. He could only imagine the griping and being compared to the kid's damn mother again.

When that was done, he bundled up the shirt and tossed it aside before flopping back, taking a deep breath and expelling it in an even deeper sigh.

After a moment of laying there together, just breathing, the Scout sat up, grunting with the labour of the movement.

“So, uh...” Scout's voice was quieter than usual, more tired too (although that was perhaps understandable), “I should go or somethin'.”

Engineer had folded an arm beneath his head and had quirked a brow as Scout moved to sit up, “You got somewhere t'be...?” he asked, though he definitely knew otherwise. His stomach twisted a bit, and he worried if it was all about to start right on over again.

Scout licked his teeth, the anxiety practically rolling off him, “Um, nah... not really... Just figured I'd leave or whatever...” 

Scout made to move over to the edge of the bed but Engineer wasn't gonna give him the chance. With a grunt he sat back up as well, hooked his arm around the boy's neck, and pulled him back down.

“ _Nope_.” He chuckled and gave the boy's back a fond pat, getting comfortable all over again. “Think you oughta jus' relax fer a while...”

Scout let out a quiet yelp, “H-hey,” he squirmed away but didn't make to leave again, “Yo, c'mon. I ain't into... ya know. Jesus Christ. Fine. I'll stay if ya gonna cry about it.”

“Yeah, yeah, why'on't you just give that mouth a rest already.” he murmured, muffling a yawn against the back of his hand before he tucked it beneath his head again and stretched out.

“Well, I guess so long as ya don't try to cuddle me or nothin' we ain't gonna have a problem...” Scout huffed, folding his arms against his cheek and lay on his side, body sinking against the mattress.

“Noted. I'll keep 'at in mind.” The Engineer rolled a shoulder until it gave a satisfying pop and he just glanced to one side to watch Scout for a bit, mulling some things over in his head.

Even if he wasn't entirely thrilled with it, he hadn't left, 'n maybe that was a sign of progress.

Or maybe he was just hopin' for too much.


	5. Don't think twice, it's alright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some semblance of resolution. Emphasis on some.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After five... no, six years. I'm finally posting the next chapter.

Scout woke up first. As he always had. Two bleary blue eyes opened into narrow slits. He blinked. Once. Twice. Slowly, everything came into focus. Sunlight filtered into the room through the blinds, spreading warmth across his skin and colouring everything in soft golden light.

Whoa. Okay. He was momentarily startled to find himself not only in someone else's bed, but with someone else still sleeping in it. Not only that, but Engineer was wound around him tighter than one'a Dick Radatz's curveballs _and_ that he could feel something kinda rigid digging into his hip. Scout jerked back in surprise but Engineer's arms were unrelenting, and if anything, this action only seemed to make the older man curl closer to him.

Geez. Was this freakin' embarrassing or what! They were both freaking naked too. Scout had forgotten about that as well, so he closed his eyes. It was queer enough being caught cuddling with another dude but to have him catch you starin' at his junk... well, that just wasn't cool. But it was damn warm here. And he didn't... Okay, so he like _really_ want to move. So he figured, maybe, if he just kept on 'sleeping', maybe he wouldn't have to.

And maybe, okay, just, a freakin' thought, maybe he should give that unidentified hardness a thorough investigation too.

Scout's hand slipped down between them, running gently across the Engineer's hip, thumbs dipping against the grooves of the bone. Thankfully, the Texan was sleeping like a rock – he'd grunted low under his breath and tucked in further, his arm tightening around the Scout's shoulder's as a result.

But that was actually good. Well, temporarily good, anyway. And Scout sure as hell wasn't concerned with the fact that, maybe Engie was only so 'warm' and 'intrigued' cus he had to take a leak, just that he was sporting a major frickin' boner here and it thrummed in response under his hand and that was totally okay with him.

Scout licked his lips and moved his hand up that shaft, fingertips brushing against the thick veins throbbing along the underside before he slid his slender fingers around that width and gripped it fully in his fist, not quiet moving yet, just squeezing it gently. A bit of tension flickered over the Engineer's face; his brows twitching with a grown and another deep sound. But as soon as he exhaled again, he settled, his lips shifting in an incoherent mumble as one of his short legs adjusted to get itself twisted up between the boy's.

Scout let out a soft breath, gaze darting between what he was holding in his hand and the Engineer's face. He tried not to let on how very much awake he was, not that the growing excitement between his legs was much good at concealing it. Not that he even tried; he ground himself down against a kneecap – why try and deny himself a good thing, right? Oh Geez, better not think too hard about that question.

“Mmn...” The Engineer shifted in response, his hips pitching forward while his fingers dug into Scout's shoulders, just bearing against him.

Scout's hand started to move, palming Engineer's cock, grip loosening just enough to slide up and down the shaft. But then the other man stirred again, but not physically so, a grumbling sigh escaping him as his eyes fluttered open in a groggy haze. He licked thickly at the roof his mouth and shifted, his brain seeming to take a minute to start up. But, once it did...

“...whutryoudoin,” he mumbled out in one monotone, slurred drawl, his toes giving a bit of a curl as his cock twitched once again.

A wave of unease washed over Scout, and he licked his lips, quickly attempting what he figured was a pretty good depiction of someone who had just woken up and probably had no idea what they were currently doing (hopefully inclusive of beating off another guy in his sleep.) Scout slid his eyes half open, gazing up at the Engineer.

“Mh–?” He blinked slowly, his hand still not moving, he feigned obliviousness. “Wh..?”

And for a brief moment, Engineer looked confused; the older man's eyes met his own dazed expression for a few long seconds before a flicker of recognition filtered over his expression, and then he let them close. Good. Engie had finally learnt how to play this game.

Another shift pulled some distance between the two of them, but that was only so the Engineer could reach down and close his own larger hand over the back of Scout's, _making_ it slide up and down along his shaft again. Scout let out a quiet breath, tightening his fingers over that length, rubbing a gentle line across a throbbing vein on its underside.

“S... Sorry... Don't know what 'm doin'.” He lied, not yet closing his eyes, staring at Engineer through light-coloured lashes.

“Mmh...” Engineer groaned, shifting himself down so that he could tuck his face against the Scout's warm collarbone. He could open his eyes that way, seemingly wanting to catch a peek of what he could underneath the blankets.

Engineer swallowed back a yawn and eased his hips forward in a rolling motion, “Feels 'rl good...”

“Y-yeah...” Scout exhaled another soft breath, this time while pressing his cheek against the top of the Engineer's head, “Yeah, good...”

Scout didn't stop moving, matching the gesture of the Engineer's hips, moving his hand up and down in rhythm to that arch forward before continuing the easy pace he'd set. His fingers came up to focus on the head, giving it a gentle squeeze before moving back down. Then his other hand came up, pressing fingers against it, index finger rubbing at the weeping slit.

“A- _ah_...” Engineer groaned in appreciation, letting the sound muffle with his lips against the boy's throat.

Scout tensed as he felt a hand broach his rear; Engineer's hand slid slowly and as casually as possible down the boy's long torso before sliding back behind his hip and then squeezing a handful of his firm backside. Scout squirmed uncomfortably, not to say that the hand wasn't entirely unpleasant, but it was weird. Not that his hand faltered any, rubbing the head of the man's cock against his palm while he fisted his shaft, allowing himself to pick up the pace a little. And while his own erection was pressing needfully and neglected against the other man's thigh, that was his _ass_ that Engineer was gripping and he wasn't sure if he should be okay with that.

“H... Hey... W-wait a sec...” Although his words were soft, stifled protests; barely audible.

“If you don't like it, jus' say so,” the Engineer gently offered, though it seemed like he hadn't even heard him; his hand certainly wasn't moving away, squeezing and kneading him with his rough hand.

“S'just.... Just a warnin', y'know... don't want... none a that 'stuff'.” Scout mumbled, though it was mostly to himself than the other man, as if reaffirming that he was some kind of neutral party to these motions.

Yeah, he totally couldn't help that he was jacking a guy off. Totally wasn't his fault. Except there seemed to be a 'yet' that lingered there unspoken, because Scout certainly wasn't pushing him away and although his body may have stiffened momentarily, it had slackened now.

Engineer chuckled, although in a kind of resignation, and nodded, giving that firm glute a pat before his hand slipped to the boy's narrow hip, continuing the touches there. “Aight kid, don't worry...”

Scout tilted his head, grazing his warm mouth against the Engineer's scalp and letting out a hot huff of breath, hand maintaining that quick movement along the Engineer's cock, but not racing or desperate to get him off – just wanting him to enjoy his hand. The other man's eyes had slipped closed again and he hummed in appreciation, finally rocking his outer leg up, dragging a broad thigh between Scout's thin legs.

“Y-yess...” Scout hissed through his teeth as he was given that meagre bit of friction, practically bucking into it.

His hand convulsed around the Engineer as he all but rode the other man's thigh, so desperate for the resistance of flesh against his own prick. The boy shuddered when a strong kneecap inadvertently pushed up against his ball sac and nudged, just ever so slightly, between his ass cheeks. And Scout shifted, bending forward to pant into the other man's neck, teeth scraping over his skin. And his arms were aching from the motions but he didn't let up any of that slick speed or tension.

Engineer's head tipped back as a thick swallow rolled down his throat, and he seemed to allow his body a few moments of pure instinct, practically writhing in the Scout's hand and between his legs, Scout feeling a pinch of heat spark in his stomach when he realised just how hot Engineer was for him. And then, with a bit of a strained grunt, Engineer shifted his weight to roll on his back, but with his arms around Scout as they were, he just pulled him right along; right on top.

Scout opened his mouth to protest – his body dragged down, propped forward with the wedge of the Engineer's knee, still caught momentarily between his thighs before it slid down – but found himself groaning instead. That was what he wanted, a good, heavy weight beneath him that he could grind down against. And he'd tried to protest again, because no, wait, wait, he didn't want this, because it was too much like everything he wanted but didn't want to want – but that hot pressure of skin against his cock enticed another keen noise from him. Engineer's hands squeezed the boy's hips and with a bit of coaxing, he dragged down and back a bit, to feel that cock rubbing between their stomachs.

And instead of protesting, Scout's body arched forward, curling into the heat of the Engineer and everything else that body offered, “Nh... nhnn... W-wa... nh, wait...”

But Engineer wasn't waiting. Because 'wait' wasn't 'stop' and yeah, Scout guessed there was kind of a difference. But that didn't mean that the Engineer wasn't suddenly all the more attentive – he opened a lustily hazed eye and watched the side of Scout's face as he rolled his hips up against him. A warm sensation dribbled onto Engineer's gut from where his cock was being milked from the weight rocking above him.

“Whada y'want, boy? I'll give ya what ya want,” he whispered in a hushed, hoarse tone, catching his bottom lip between his teeth and straining out another groan.

“Fuc... Fff... fuck... W-wait, I...” Scout shuddered; the other man's words seemed to vibrate through him, skin flaring with heat, “I just... I can't... fuck...”

Geez, what was the point in protesting if he couldn't even follow his own advice? Or requests. Or whatever the hell he was trying to say. His fingers slid out from between them, moving instead to the Engineer's upper arms where they scratched light red marks across the warm skin.

The Engineer just grunted softly in reply. Well, it wasn't exactly like Scout was screaming for him to stop or anything, so he probably figured that was as good as it was gonna get. Those hands started roaming over him again, sliding up Scout's long back before they traced his spine down to the crack of his ass. A whimper crossed the Scout's lips this time; his body pitching forward to meet those hands smoothing over his skin; palms squeezing his cheeks, using that grip to pull him down further.

And then Scout moved his body up, letting out a soft hiss of pleasure as he worked to squeeze that cock between his thighs – and then gasped, as if it had been accidental, that thick length now pressed against the cleft of his ass.

Engineer's breath hitched and he dug his fingers into the boy's ass, “Nnuh... fuck, don't tease me, boy, _please_ , he gasped, giving a slight rock of his hips.

“Don't... Just... I don't want...” Scout groaned, a hand moving to guide that cock against himself, wanting it tight against his skin, grazing the length of it over his entrance.

He didn't want to think about what he was doing. That would be stupid. Just like doing this was stupid. And just like maybe kind of sort of wanting it inside of him was dumb. And gay. And fucking dumb.

“Y'can... F... fuck,” his breath hitched as that cock head pressed a little too close to his opening, and he drew back a little and then tightened his legs, “Y'can fuck my thighs, or whatever.”

For a second Engineer seemed disappointed, but that dissolved as those firm legs began to squeeze on his erection from both sides. The Engineer slid his broad hands up along Scout's back, eagerly keening up into every touch and manipulation the boy was placing on him. His palms continued to roam, one stuffing itself between their bodies to grasp and knead at the Scout's trapped cock, while the other hooked behind his thin neck and jerked him close so that he could kiss him, breathless and rough.

“Mh!” Scout thought to protest that kiss, but the minute those lips met his, he was already kissing him back and it was too late to object.

Not that he'd _really_ wanted to, he absently thought, hungrily biting the Engineer's mouth, drinking in his taste. It was easier like this. Out of control. Engineer directing him. Wasn't his fault this way.

He shuddered as his cock was caught against a rough palm, prick twitching under that keen hand while his hips jerked forward, driving the Engineer's cock back and forth between the warm, firm meat of his thighs. His hand still remained behind him, keeping that length tight against himself.

“G-gahdamnit...” The Texan groaned hoarsely against Scout's lips, eagerly accepting the tongue that was suddenly pushed against his teeth.

Engineer's back was slick with sweat as Scout grazed his hands over it, the sheets clinging to his skin as the base of his spine arched between thrusts of his hips. There was probably a name for this. This kind of not fucking but kind of fucking but right now, Scout couldn't remember his own damn name. It was almost too much to take in. So maybe he'd stop thinking about that, and just enjoy how damn, damn freaking amazing it felt.

He writhed against the older man, sucking on his tongue and panting into his mouth in between moans. The sounds increased in frequency when Scout slid his palm up, cupping it against the head of the Engineer's cock. He let it stab against his hand for a few thrusts before guiding it up and then, aided by an adjustment of his hips, jerked back as if surprised when it grazed against his tight opening.

Scout's cock stuttered in Engineer's grip and for a second he thought he was going to come; a violent burst of pleasure swelling in the pit of his gut. “D-Don't – W-wait... A-ah... C-C'mon...” He spluttered out, as if he hadn't been the one to angle himself on the Engineer's cock.

And yeah, maybe he was a tease. But his actions only seemed to spur the older man on; Engineer's fingertips digging into his neck as his cock slid right into place. Yeah, all it would take was one strong jerk up and then Engie would be... f-fuck. No. He'd better not think about that. He didn't want that. He didn't. He _didn't_.

Not that it stopped either of them enjoying how good that simple connection was, and Scout's cock throbbed almost painfully as Engineer rolled his hips upward, just applying a bit of pressure against that unrelenting ring of muscle. The other man hissed a curse through his teeth before biting his bottom lip, and his hand tightened fervently against Scout's prick, giving it a few swift jerks and rolling the edge of his thumb into that slick, shallow slit.

“O-oh, fu-fuck. Don't... Jesus Christ, d-don't, No, oh, fuck, mhm.”

It was that slight touch that finally did him in. Just there. Oh _fuck_. That was it. And then there was that cock was wedged up against him, its throbbing head driving against him, hot pressure pushing into him while that hand ran over his twitching dick. And it was enough. More than enough. Scout bent forward and mumbled a mess of words into the Engineer's shoulder because that heat was pooling in his gut and spreading down the backs of his thighs and he was gonna come, he was gonna fuckin' come.

A strangled gasp escaped the Scout's throat and he suddenly jammed his hips down. The force of this motion was enough to nudge the tip of the Engineer's slippery cock inside of him and he was in him, he was in him. And it _hurt_. But God, he wanted Engineer to fuck him. He wanted him to fuck his tight little ass so hard he'd have to hold on for his fuckin' life. Scout let out a choked sob and finally came, jerking wildly with his orgasm.

“ _Shit_.”

Tension suddenly locked up the Engineer's body beneath him, and the older man arched up with a deep, howling groan and then quickly jerked his hips back down to pull his tip out of the Scout just a half second before he found his own release, thick, seedy splashes up the boy's spine. And Scout let out a quiet groan because he wished, God, he wished it had been in him instead.

“F... Fuck. _Engie_.”

Eventually the random bucks and spasms eased in their severity and Scout was vaguely aware of the other man gasping as he tried to catch his breath. Engineer released his death-grip he had on the Scout's waist only to wrap both of his thick arms around his still shuddering frame and pulling it flush to himself. And it didn't feel like he was really cuddlin' him, either... was a lot more like _owning_.

“Y'alright..?” Engineer asked dizzily, swallowing thickly afterwards and licking at his kiss-swollen, dry lips.

“Yeah...” Scout exhaled, his words hoarse and breathed out into the Engineer's neck, “Yeah, I'm cool.”

Engineer gave a nod and slumped, grip relenting when the Scout started squirming around, now just resting one hand on the small of his back – which, judging from the feeling against his fingers, needed a little cleaning up.

But that could come later.

\---

“...one helluva 'Good Morning',” he muttered after a few moments, and he couldn't help but start to chuckle at it.

The Texan relaxed with a sigh, swiping his forearm over his brow and whistling with exhaustion. Really was an odd thing; getting a workout right after waking up. That was more of Soldier's thing, and he'd never once went out with him for his morning drills. Although he was pretty sure no one did.

But just as he was ruminating on getting some more rest, he spied a glance at the Scout's face, and an uneasiness settled instantly in his gut. Well, no, not just uneasiness. Dread.

“...s'wrong?”

The Scout slid out of the Engineer's slackened grip, his face strained with panic while his eyes darted about anywhere else but the Engineer. A palm washed over his brow and he took a couple of deep breaths before moving to sit up.

“Nah, it's nothin'. Jus' leave it,” Scout swallowed hard, “Anyway, I'm gonna go. Y'know. Gotta get back. People'll start ta talk and shit.”

Engineer's brows furrowed and he moved to sit up after the boy, reaching over to try and snag his arm – but he stopped himself at the last second. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea.

“I don't think y'gotta worry 'bout that, Slick. S'still early 'bough,” he offered assuringly, glancing toward his clock. Ah, no way. Engineer doubted anyone was even up yet; the next round of fighting wasn't until the evening anyway.

“Yeah, well. Don't wanna risk it or nothin'.” Scout mumbled, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and letting his toes graze the cold floor.

The Engineer watched the boy's movements; Scout staggered to his feet, and the knocking in the boy's knees didn't go unnoticed. Neither did that wince that crossed his features, albeit, briefly. For a moment he was worried he'd hurt the kid somehow, but he didn't know what he could've done to do so – unless... right there at the end... Ah, shit.

But he didn't want to go and embarrass him by asking, just to check, and he scratched at his head, watching Scout look around for a while. “Uh... lemme help ya,” he muttered offhandedly, sliding off the bed and stepping over to where clothes were still in piles near his worktable.

“Uh, okay. Sure.” Scout eased himself back down onto the edge of the bed, folding his hands over his groin, “I mean, I'm fine or whatever. No big deal.”

Engineer slid himself into his own boxers first so that he didn't have to go wandering around bare, and he carefully gathered up the boy's clothes before taking them to him.

“I heard ya, I heard ya. Yer fine,” he repeated with a nod, stepping back with his hands propped on his waist. Scout didn't look fine, though. Little pale, even.

“You want me t'get you some water 'r somethin'..?”

“Nah, I'm fine, _Geez._ I'm just feelin' uh, kind of... weird, I guess.” Scout sucked on his lower lip, hands absently turning over the folded fabric in his lap, brushing over the blue sleeves of his shirt.

Engineer almost didn't want to ask; the possibility that would just end up arguing again had proven itself twice already. Or was it three times? Bah. Either way, it was gettin' to be routine. Sex, then an argument. Though this time, the boy didn't seem angry, just... well, he'd said it himself. 'Weird'.

“Wanna talk it over? If'n I hurt ya... m'awful sorry. We can get ya some aspirin, think I've got some 'round here –”

“– _No_. I mean, nah, uh, I'm all right.” Scout chewed the inside of his mouth, finally turning his gaze up to the other man, simply staring at him a moment before rambling on, eyes redirected back to his knees, “It's... not that or nothin'. I mean, all right. Freaking awkward and stuff, but, it ain't that.”

“ 'en what is it?” Engineer asked, sitting down beside the Scout on the bed as he idly scratched at his stomach. “Yer throwin' me for a loop here, kid. Did I do somethin' I weren't aware of?”

“No, that's... I mean... Geez.” Scout struggled, “This is all just too freakin' weird, all right. I mean, like _all_ of this stuff. I mean, I don't wanna be... _y'know_ , you know?”

“Yanno... ya've mentioned that _once 'r twice _,” the older man muttered, hands setting on his knees as he eyed the boy. Alright, he'd just have to take this patiently. “But what ya _do_ says... well, 'bout says the exact _opposite_. S'kinda confusin', deciding which part I'm s'posed to listen to. Y'understand?”__

__“That's just the frickin' thing. You think _you're_ confused? I don't know what the hell I'm doin' ... And I can't even help it. I dunno what's wrong with me.” Scout sank forward, resting his face in his hands and his elbows on his knees, “Should I go to the doc or somethin'? Am I sick? I mean, if I'm not then... why do I jus' keep... and then I keep thinkin' 'bout my Ma and that she would absolutely _freak_ if she found out I was messin' around like this and I just, y'almost... _y'know_... and it's just that I don't frickin' want _any_ of this, but I … I kind of frickin' want it.”_ _

__Engineer didn't much care for the way his chest ached seeing the Scout like that, and he felt the urge to touch his back, but he held it off and merely squeezed his knees._ _

__“Yer not sick. 'least I don't reckon so,” he muttered, his brows knitted together as he focused on... trying to say the right thing. Whatever _that_ was._ _

__“I take it ya... kinda grew up 'round some pretty strong opinions 'bout homosexuals, yeah?”_ _

__“Yeah. Yeah, I guess so.” Scout straightened up a little, those fingers pressed into his eyes dropped back into his lap and he gave out a heaving sigh. “My Pa always said, it ain't normal. I don't wanna be some kinda freak or nothin' but... I keep on doin' this and... I mean, I don't... But for some reason I jus' can't seem t'stop and I don't end up like one a 'dem fags ya hear about with their head all busted in or their brains blown out cus a what they are, y'know.”_ _

__The Engineer nodded, finding it almost all too familiar; growing up in the south, in Bee Cave, Texas, of all places, had presented certain mindsets to him when he was a youngster, too. And they were things he had to deal with as he got older and realised, in his mind, he didn't quite agree with some of the beliefs that had been pounded into his head. Even when he didn't know _why_ he didn't agree with them._ _

__“Ain't no one gonna hurt ya, son,” he muttered, however, and he reached over to just set his broad hand against the Scout's shoulder. “No one's gotta know nothin' you ain't comfortable in tellin'.”_ _

__Scout stiffened, and for a minute there, Engineer was sure he was gonna be pushed away, but then the boy relaxed, allowing himself to tip sideways and lean into the Engineer's offered warmth. “It just... sucks. And it's weird. And I freakin' hate it. And I don't wanna be like this – don't want to _do_ this. I just wanna be normal.”_ _

__Engineer gave a slight shift to sit a little closer to the Scout when he leaned in, allowing his arm to slide around those thin shoulders to hold him more assuredly. Engineer felt the urge to hold his face and kiss his cheeks until everything was better, but that was both stupid _and_ unhelpful, in this case._ _

__“Yer _plenty_ normal, boy. Don't let nobody make you think no different.”_ _

__Scout ran his knuckles across the backs of his eyelids and let out another sigh, “Just don't... don't tell nobody.”_ _

__Engineer nodded instantly with a soft, “I won't,” when asked. Did the Scout really think it was something he'd go blabbering on about? Hell, the only reason he'd mentioned his own sexual preference to the boy was because he was tappin' far too close to an ass-kickin'._ _

__“... Way I see it, ain't nobody's business what a person does in the privacy've their own bedroom. Don't say nothin' negative 'bout what kinda man 'r woman they are.”_ _

__“Yeah,” the boy breathed out, “I guess... I mean, I thought you were alright or whatever... Uh, just... Okay. Listen. Uh. If I ask ya somethin', y'promise not to laugh or think of me as some kinda serious queer or nothin'?”_ _

__Engineer just rubbed his hand over the Scout's shoulder, squeezing a bit at the thin muscle when he felt it tense up and shudder, but otherwise just sitting and letting him be. That was, until he posed that question, of course – “Yeah, I promise.”_ _

__Scout seemed to mull over the words in his mouth for a long while before he spoke, and even then he seemed unsure and almost embarrassed by his own voice, “Listen. Um. Can you – I know this is freakin' dumb but – I mean, I jus' feel... kinda shit, so I was thinkin', um, can you hold my hand, or somethin'? … For a bit, I mean. I just wanted, I mean, I don't want, I mean, I _mean_ , uh –”_ _

__Engineer tilted his head at the request, but he didn't even wait to think it over, nodding and unwrapping his arm from Scout's shoulders so that he could take his slim hand in his own. “Sure,” was all he said, not wanting to add anything else that might put the boy on edge. His stout, thick fingers slipped beneath the longer, thinner set and then his other hand closed on top of then, both flexing gently to give a reaffirming squeeze. A short exhale was the only response the Engineer received as the boy allowed his hand to be held. A moment passed and then those slender fingers tightened in the other man's grip._ _

__Scout let out a quiet, faltering laugh, “This... is kinda gay.” Not that the boy made any indication of moving away, instead leaning closer, tucking his cheek against the other man's shoulder._ _

__The Engineer gave a grunt of breath, politely smiling to the forced laugh. But his grip didn't waver, and he leaned in to the Scout in turn, finding himself comfortable very quickly._ _

__“...My name's Dell,” he muttered under his breath, after sitting in silence for a while. “Short fer Dellford, but... even my Ma don't call me that.”_ _

__“Oh. I'm uh, er, um...” Scout let out a short puff of breath, apparently caught off guard by the admission._ _

__Chuckling, Engineer pat his hand over their laced ones and shook his head, sitting up a bit to look at him. The kid was about as bright as their team colour._ _

__“Y'ain't gotta tell me, don't worry. Just... felt like sharin, I s'pose,” he explained, and his calloused thumb idly passed over the thin bumps of Scout's knuckles._ _

__“J-Jesus, Yeah, well,” the Scout raised his hand to rub at a heated cheek, “It suits ya.”_ _

__“Reckon so,” Engineer replied offhandedly; he was a mite distracted, watching the Scout's attention continuously shifting back to the pile of clothes in his lap. Ah, he realised the kid was still in his birthday suit under there, and after giving his hand another squeeze, he let it go entirely and gave him a little space._ _

__“If'n you still wanna leave, I understand...”_ _

__“Nah, I don't.” Scout said, quickly, although he was now using his free hands to seek out his underwear in that heap of clothing, “I mean, so long as those other guys don't find out we had, like a freakin' slumber party in here, I guess it's all right if I hang out for a bit. I mean, _you_ don't mind, do ya?”_ _

__Scout glanced up at the Engineer, working his briefs up over his skinny hips while the rest of that pile tumbled onto the floor from his lap._ _

__The Engineer couldn't help but smile a bit at that, and he pushed himself up to his feet and moved to cross the workshop. “Nope, don't mind at all.”_ _

__He dug out a few thermoses of water that he kept secretly hoarded for those days he didn't feel like leaving his work, and he hefted one back over to the bed before plopping back down and twisting off the cap to take a good swig of the cool liquid. The water felt even colder when it hit Engineer's empty stomach, but it was too refreshing to mind that slight ache. But when he felt a few drops hit his chest from where water was dribbling down his chin, he pulled back, gasping for a breath and grunting in satisfaction._ _

__He heard the Scout moving beside him on the bed, and he turned to look at the boy, watching him cross his long legs beneath him while his arms stretched out behind him. He had a strange look fixed across his face but Engineer didn't linger on it._ _

__“Hits the spot,” he muttered, swiping his forearm over his mouth before he reached over to offer the thermos to Scout._ _

__“Yeah, thanks.” Scout took the thermos and watched him a moment longer before he tipped it back and gulped the water down._ _

__Engineer smiled and dragged himself further back onto the bed before flopping down in a lazy stretch. Truth be told, he didn't just laze around much. His idea of a slothful morning was bringing his blueprints to bed with him so that he could lay and equate and sketch all at the same time. But this... just doin' nothing in someone else's company, albeit a little tense and awkward here and there – well, it was pretty nice._ _

__“So, hey, Engie... or, uh...er,” Scout spoke when he'd finished drinking, setting the thermos down by the bed when he was done and then clambering back towards the other man._ _

__Engineer noticed the hesitant pause in the boy's voice, but he didn't mind it. It wasn't as if he suddenly expected Scout to go calling him 'Dell' all the time, it was just... a fun fact. A simply 'just so ya know'. Yeah... yeah, that's all it was._ _

__“Yessir?” The man's brows lifted attentively but his eyes didn't open, his arms folding comfortably beneath his head._ _

__“How'd ya know?” Scout settled down beside him, propping himself up, cheek resting against the curve of his palm, “I mean, when did ya figure that you er – jus' cus I'm a curious kinda guy, y'know. Not that I'm looking to relate or somethin' stupid like that – cus I mean, y'know, we're... We're waaay freakin' different in _that_ area. I mean you're totally... and I'm not even... But, I mean, seriously, how'd ya know?”_ _

__“Oh, that?” Engineer gave a sniff and opened his eyes, glancing toward the nearby Scout before he eyed the ceiling with the recollection, “S'hard t'say... when I was a young'n, I was brought up the way most'a us were; that ya work hard, mind your studies, meet a nice girl 'n get married so you can make a little t'start the process all over again. Had a few girlfriends, all real nice gals, but most ended jus' cause I weren't too interested in relationships. Always figured it was 'cause I was so focused on school, y'see. Shop class. Whoo-ee. Couldn't'a torn me from it with a jimmy bar..._ _

__“Anyway, weren't till I got into college that I really started payin' attention t'my hormones at all. Call it a late bloomer, I dunno... Either way, eventually I got with a little gal named Ruth. Purdiest thing you ever did see, I tell ya; sweetest face 'n big brown eyes. 'n fer a while I figured... hell, maybe I could give this thing a shot, she seemed like marriage material...”_ _

__The boy looked like he was actually paying attention for a change. Strange because normally he didn't have a lick of patience for anyone's stories but his own._ _

__Not that the silence lasted long, “Yeah?” Scout made a soft, appreciative sound, “But uh, on account of you bein' a... _y'know_... I'm guessin' it didn't work out.”_ _

__“Yeah, well... m'gettin' to that part,” Engineer muttered, slipping one arm from under his hand so that he could bat a hand at the air. Then he settled again, his palm dropping onto his chest, “Back in them days, 'n I s'pose it weren't _too_ far off from now,” ignoring the quiet sniggering from the Scout, he continued, “ain't _that_ old, only seems that way... lookin' at one'a them skin magazines with your gal was _the_ taboo thing t'do. Kids would swipe one from somewhere 'n head off toward a big ol' abandoned pasture we had at the edge'a town. They'd park their cars out there 'n... _well_ , m'sure you can figure out the rest._ _

__“See, Ruth'd been practically beggin' me to take 'er there for weeks, figure one'a her girlfriends went 'n kept yammerin' on about the experience, I dunno. 'n lemme jus' say, it was hard t'tell Ruth Toddlan ' _no_ '. So I got myself one'a them magazines 'n took her in my Pa's old beat up truck to the pasture. She climbed on in the driver's side side with me 'n we... well, we had an ol' look inside.”_ _

__Engineer paused a bit, his face getting a little too warm for comfort, “Now, firstly, hand t'God, I ain't _ever_ seen a porn magazine 'fore that. Always been a fan'a the pin-up paraphernalia, myself. So when Ruth started flippin' through the pages 'n I realised there were also _fellas_ inside... boy howdy, threw me fer a loop.”_ _

__Scout grinned. “So, what happened? Ya pop a freakin' boner, or something?”_ _

__“Y'always gotta phrase things so damn nice-like.” Engineer muttered, casting a halfhearted scowl toward the boy before he chuckled and idly scratched his fingers down his cheek._ _

__“But long story short, reckon I did. Whole experience seemed t'set real well with Ruth too, 'n... well, ain't the right thing t'do goin' into details 'r anything, so we still... _y'know_ , did our business, but I jus' couldn't stop lookin' at that blonde fella on the dashboard. There was a gal on the page too, but... hell, I couldn't'a told ya what she looked like. In the end, s'what ended up gettin' me off.”_ _

__He frowned a bit, taking a deep breath before continuing. “Ruth didn't know nothin' about it, though. 'n I couldn't just tell her. Sweetheart she was... Shook me up real good, it did. Felt awful ashamed fer it. 'n we didn't last much longer'n that... which was my fault, I ended up drivin' her away.”_ _

__“Oh. Well. That blows... I guess. I mean, uh, ya probably better off now. Well, that's what ya gonna tell me next, ain't ya?”_ _

__Engineer sighed, a slight set in his jaw as he thought it over, “I reckon so...” he finally admitted, sitting up and leaning over the edge of the bed to find that thermos again and take another drink. Once his throat was cold again, he licked his lips and shook his head, “Wish I'd done things different, though. Wish I'd been truthful with 'er. Poor gal didn't know what she'd done wrong, but it weren't her fault. I don't think I ever got t'tell her that.”_ _

__He rolled a broad shoulder and fiddled with the thermos a bit, capping and recapping the top a few times. “Dishonestly ain't good fer a man.”_ _

__Scout slumped onto his back, stretching himself out across the small bed, one leg dangling off the side, running his bare toes across the cool floor as he let his leg swing back and forth. “Yeah, guess so. That's kinda'a shame. Not that there's nothin' much ya can do now, though.”_ _

__“Yer right about that. Y'can only go on, tryin' yer best not t'mess up again 'n have somethin' _else_ followin' ya for the rest'a yer days. Unfortunately it's those mistakes we make that urge us t'try 'n shape up, y'know?” Engineer chuckled a bit, almost with a fond distain, and then sat the thermos down before laying back beside the Scout._ _

__“But... yeah, that's how I found out.”_ _

__“Yeah, yeah, I get what ya sayin'...” Scout laughed, and then let his hand drop against his thigh, feigning indifference when his fingertips brushed the skin above his kneecap in a surprisingly tender gesture, “So uh, then... you're totally one hundred percent a homo then, right? And you're... totally freakin' cool with that?”_ _

__Engineer glanced down at that hand and smiled, before it gave a slight falter at the boy's particular turn of phrase. A poet, he was._ _

__“Yeah, reckon I'm 'freaking cool with that',” he repeated, nodding just once and letting that be that. “Don't change nothin' else about me, 'n it ain't hurtin' anybody. M'too old t'go lettin' public opinion decide things fer me.”_ _

__The Scout was being quiet, and he knew that meant he was thinking. But when he glanced over, he didn't see an irritated knit in his brow or that worried look he'd sometimes have ghosting over hs eyes – so that was good. He thought about reaching over to touch his face, to push some of those short strands of hair into proper place... but, nah. Instead he sat up, held his grin, and then pounced on the boy to wrap him up in a playful headlock._ _

__“Got'cha!”_ _

__“W-woah! Hey, unfair! I wasn't freakin' ready!”_ _

__Scout squirmed in that hold, fingers gripping the other man by that thick forearm and attempting to hoist him off – to no avail. Engineer snickered through his teeth, his arm slipping around Scout's neck to try and wind about his arms to pin the lanky things down._ _

__“Sounds like sore loser talk t'me!” - and if his other hand just so _happened_ to slide down the boy's side in the hopes of finding a ticklish spot? Well, he'd just call it an accident._ _

__“C-C'mon! Time out!” The Scout was writhing frantically, wheezing for breath as he laughed, at the mercy of the hands that pinned him._ _

__The Engineer was laughing right along with him – not as frantically, of course, but hearing the Scout nearly squealing with laughter was much better than seeing him shaking and looking outright sick as he'd been earlier. He wasn't cruel though, so when the boy's gasps started to come a little too frequently, he let up; just twisting his arm around Scout's waist and pulling him close while his own chuckles subsided._ _

__“Je-Jesus, Engie.” Scout went slack in the other man's grip, still letting out soft gasps of laughter between gasps for breath. He turned his head and pressed his cheek against the other's chest, and inhaled deeply “Y'don't play fair at all...”_ _

__“M'hn,” Engineer grunted, propping his chin on top of the Scout's head and passing his hand over the long line of his spine. “Don't tell no one, got me a good reputation t'uphold..!”_ _

__Scout let out a quiet snicker, shifting under that rough palm, “Yeah, I'd like t'see ya freakin' make me...” And then his hands slid up the front of the Engineer's chest to then wind around his neck._ _

__A brow crooked itself and the man grinned, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “I reckon I could keep ya quiet nice 'n easy,” he muttered, his gaze flicking just a little south before he leaned in and captured the Scout's lips with his own._ _

__The Scout became unexpectedly pliant, mouth relenting under that kiss, leaning in a little closer, his fingers stuttering against the nape of the Engineer's neck. He didn't hold that kiss long though, just enough to feel the warm press of the Scout's lips before he drew back and gave that lower tier a soft bite. But even that was in teasing, and as he brought enough distance between them to not have to share the same patch of air, he couldn't help but smirk._ _

__“Well, lookit you. Feel like I've gone on 'n walked right into a trap 'ere.”_ _

__“Aw, c'mon... what are y'doin'?” Scout panted into that space between them, his eyes flickering open and fixing a hazy gaze up at the other man._ _

__“We ain't ever gonna get outta bed this way, yanno,” he myttered, lifting one of his hands to slide his thumb along the Scout's bottom lip. Was damn tempting, though... he wouldn't _mind_ a full day ruttin' around in the sheets but it just wasn't practical._ _

__Scout's tongue flicked out to pass over Engineer's thumb and damnit, did this kid ever let up? “Y'got somewhere to be, is that it?”_ _

__“Heh, nah son, that ain't it,” Engineer chuckled, watching the boy's mouth longer than he should have. “I jus' ain't too sure I've got enough gas in me t'start my engine back up... Yer like a damn marathon.” He felt sheepish despite himself, not that it stopped him from going against his own advice and leaning back in to give him another brief kiss._ _

__“Yeah... mh... Guess so,” Scout let out a satisfied sound as he breathed into the Engineer's mouth, lingering there for a moment before drawing back, “Could probably use a shower too. I probably freakin' reek.”_ _

__“That'd make two of us,” Engineer huffed, easing up and away from him – a little more reluctantly than he'd like – so that he could sit up and stretch out his arms again. “If'n ya wanna be careful 'bout this, why don't you go ahead 'n get dressed then head on out. I'll wait a couple minutes 'fore headin' to the showers, then we can have some breakfast, hm?”_ _

__“Yeah, sounds good.” Scout slid out of bed and went about collecting his clothes that he'd skilfully managed to scatter about (again)._ _

__“Aw, Geez,” Scout tried to straighten out the red fabric of his shirt but it refused to retain anything but a 'thrown on the floor' look, “... All right. I'll see ya ovah there.”_ _

__The man grunted and shifted over to sit on the edge of the bed while Scout got himself dressed, and he couldn't help but watch. Weren't nothin' wrong with it, in his opinion; seen 'im naked, might as well see 'im dressed, too._ _

__“Yessir, I'll be 'round directly,” he replied, and he pushed up to his feet, tipping up and – well, it was just easier to reach the Scout's chin, so he gave him a kiss there before nudging him toward the door._ _

__“Okay, cool. I'll see ya in a bit then. Alright, alright, I'm leavin'.”_ _

__As soon as the Scout was out the door, the Engineer flopped back lazily on his cot and heaved a huge sigh. And even despite that, he couldn't get that damn stupid grin off of his face. He jus'... felt good. Not that he suddenly thought any of this was going to be _easy_. Easier than _before_ , maybe, but they weren't out of the woods just yet. But that... that was alright. He could find a way to solve that problem._ _

__This would turn out alright._ _

__… now if he could only get his ass out of bed._ _


	6. Troublesome waters

In the end Dell did get up, if only because his legs were starting to fall asleep this way. He haphazardly, _sort of_ put his bed back together (though he noted that he'd have to wash the sheets pretty soon) and then gathered up his shaving kit and a fresh change of clothes before re-donning his pyjamas and heading out into the base.

He almost jumped when the Sniper lethargically drug himself out of a doorway, nursing his mug of coffee to his lips and grumbling in that thick sling of an accent to himself. Poor fella, he was never a morning person. Looked 'bout right _grey_ today, in fact.

“Mornin', Sunshine!” Dell cheerfully exclaimed, as he often did, and he nearly lost one of the boots balanced in his arm as he paused to clap the man on the back.

Sniper didn't seem too thrilled with greeting him back, though he did make a slurred... grunting... kinda sound before continuing on down the corridor.

Yeah, that was good enough.

He didn't find any other resistance – er, _teammates_ on the way to the showers, and he was already lightly humming to himself as he slipped into the locker room, taking his effects to his space and beginning to undress.

From the echoed sounds of complaining nearby, it seemed like Scout's shower was already underway.

“Ow, FUCK!” Scout howled, the sound followed up by a series of grunts and muttered curses.

The Engineer unzipped the bag he kept his shaving things in, crooking a brow and eyeing the showers' reflection in the mirror hanging on the inside of his locker. Scout seemed to be havin' an interesting time...

He chuckled and wrapped a towel around his waist before heading into the area that was slowly thickening up with steam, trying his best – and succeeding, for the moment – not to eye the boy too obviously once he spotted him.

It wasn’t easy when the boy was standing there; all taut muscle, water cascading down across his skin.

“Scout,” he greeted simply, taking off his towel and hanging it on the nearest hook before he took his place standing underneath the nearest shower head.

“Oh, uh.. Hey,” the boy took a step back, staring at the other man as if he were surprised to see him there.

Engineer hand slid over the hot water knob, but instead of twisting it on, he gave it a hard jostle. It was attached a bit loosely, and the piping could be heard shifting behind the old walls. When he finally did turn the dial, the water that spurted out was instantly steaming.

“Gotta jimmy these ol' things up good,” he explained.

“Yeah, well, thanks,” Scout grumbled, appearing momentarily embarrassed (by the remark or the minute distance between them, Engineer couldn't tell – although with the way he was pointedly avoiding looking down...), “Anyway. Probably way better than the uh, am'neties over in the RED base. Those chumps probably wash 'emselves down with a hose.”

“Heh, y'think so? Poor bastards,” Engineer chuckled, reaching up to adjust the trajectory of the water so that it would reach him a little better. Once again, every little thing had to remind him of his height; even a shower spraying him squarely in the face.

“... now, I'on't mean to pry in yer rituals, son, but did'ja maybe fergit a step somewhere along the way?” he asked, his eyes canting downward to catch a glance at the boy's briefs, which hung wetly off his hips. He would've allowed himself a good laugh if he were a cruder man, but he couldn't stop from grinning either way.

Course, the way that wet-soaked fabric also clung to his little... _nope_. _Nope_. He needed to mind his own business, and he coughed and quickly went about picking up his can of shaving cream and squirting a thick cloud into his palm.

Meanwhile Scout's cheeks only pinkened further, “Oh, nah,” he muttered dismissively, “I was just uh, protectin' myself. Yeah. This is practically how I always shower... I mean, it wasn't like I _forgot_ to take them off or anythin' while I was fightin’ with the shower. What kinda chucklehead do you think I am?”

“... Uh, but seein' as yer... uh...” Scout continued, his eyes slowly drifting down the older man's body before snapping up again, his embarrassment visible not only by the colour of his cheeks, but by the way he was now also chewin' on his lower lip. 

“I mean, I guess I can allow a change in routine. Ya know, jus' this once.”

“S'might progressive of ya there, Scout,” Engineer noted helpfully, just humouring the kid.

Scout hooked his fingers into the waistband of his briefs and stripped them off in a clumsy motion, cursing when they tangled up around his ankles. Once off, he then screwed them up into a soggy ball and threw them just outside of the stall, letting them land on the tiles with a wet splat.

Engineer meanwhile, palmed the shaving cream over his jaw and the upper portion of his throat, and after he washed the excess of his hand, he picked up a small mirror (that constantly fogged up and needed a good swipe with his thumb) and his razor, giving the blade a minute under the water to warm up.

Squinting at the hazy reflection of himself in the little hand mirror, Engineer crooked his jaw up and began shaving his throat, careful at the blunt cut of his jaw. Each stroke cleanly sliced the roughness right off his skin, and he flicked the cream off in the running water before wetting the blade again and continuing with the next spot.

Now he wasn't distracted per se, but he did happen to take notice of the Scout looking through the old trays for something to clean himself with. There was a tannish sort of... yellow silver of something in the tray that was undoubtedly _soap_ , but the... not-quite-transparent, dirty film on its surface made it appear far from a cleaning implement.

An' disgustin'.

Scout's fingers brushed over that slimy bit of mess in the tray and seemed to immediately regret it as he recoiled in disgust, “Ew, that's frickin' gross.”

“ 'ere, kid,” he muttered, pausing in his next stroke to pluck a thick white bar from his shaving kit, “Can use mine.”

Scout grinned, washing his hands off in the shower before reaching up and snatching that clean, white square, “Yeah, thanks.”

Engineer nodded and then went back to shaving; he didn't need all of the lather getting washed off before he could get to it, after all.

His thumb swiped over the fogged mirror and... he didn't necessarily do it intentionally, but that reflective surface tipped lightly to one side and he was able to watch himself and the Scout that way. The boy slid the soap over his lean shoulders, sighing softly as he worked it into a lather. Engineer wondered if it'd be in bad manners to ask if he needed a hand... probably so, 'specially with how skittish the kid was at times. Not that he blamed him; he understood his point of view a little more after their little discussion.

Still though... couldn't stop him from watching.

“Ack!”

– 'cept for when he nicked himself on the chin.

Scout jolted back in surprise, “ _Jesus_ , you all right there, hardhat?” A grin eased over his face as he looked at the thin bead of blood on the Engineer’s chin. “You oughta be more careful. If ya need pointers or somethin', I can show ya. See, I'm kind of what you might call a 'pro'.”

“ _Course _you're a pro,” the Engineer snorted amusedly with an equal grin, shaking his razor under the water again before he pressed the back of his hand to his chin for a moment. “Yer _Scout_ , the hairless boy wonder!” Engineer chuckled then eyes his hand, the stinging already gone from his face. “But don't worry son, puberty'll smile on ya eventually.”__

__“Pfft,” Scout gave Engineer a gentle shove, “Laugh all ya want, man. I got _plenty_ 'a hair. Where it counts, at least. And I gotta shave like, every freakin' other week, at least! I mean, would ya look at this face? Practically a freakin' jungle over here.”_ _

__The Engineer laughed and fought off that push with a nudge of his own elbow, mindful of where his razor was. The kid was cute when he wanted to be; that was just the end of it. Scout smoothed his palm over his mouth, attempting to make a show of the barely there grazing of stubble across his upper lip._ _

__“Oh yeah? Lemme see that,” he murmured, reaching over to capture the boy's jaw and tug him both over and down to his eye level._ _

__He gave a skeptical squint, lips pursed as his thumb traveled over to roll along that smooth skin, passing above Scout's mouth, and as a result, over the boy's lips themselves. He tried not to stare too long, and he fought off that urge with a humorous grunt. “Hmm... you sure? Mebbe I need glasses...”_ _

__“Don't pretend like you ain't impressed, pal,” Scout snorted but that cocky grin remained, “ 'sides, I er, shaved yesterday, so...”_ _

__“I'm impressed, alright...” He just wouldn't mention that it was the Scout's sheer stubbornness that had his admiration._ _

__Engineer smirked and gave that smooth cheek a pat before he let him go, but it wasn't just to return back to his business. Now juggling the small mirror and razor in one hand, he took the latter and carefully passed it to the Scout, a smirk tugging at his lips as his attention diverted up to the boy's face._ _

__“But since yer... such an _expert_ , why don't you help me out.”_ _

__“What? _Shave_ you?” Scout held that razor dumbly in one hand while he gripped that slippery stick of soap in the other. He looked at the razor as if he'd never seen one before in his life, “Uh, not that I don't know _how_ but I mean, it's a whole 'nother ball game on another guy.”_ _

__“C'mon son, it ain't that hard,” he muttered, smiling and glancing down to carefully drop his mirror back into the kit near his feet. “Jus' go nice 'n easy.”_ _

__And now that his hands were free, the Engineer slid his hands onto the Scout's thin waist, inwardly revelling at the feel of his skin slicked with water, and tugged him a little closer. His eyes drifted down a moment, and then his smile turned into a smirk._ _

__“Tell you what. You help me out here, 'n I'll do somethin' fer that half-hard stiffy y'got goin' on...”_ _

__“W-woah, I er –” Scout spared a glance down to his prick which was jutting up against the Engineer’s hip. “Ff-fine. Geez.”_ _

__“Do a good job, now,” the Engineer chided quietly, and then he tipped his head up and closed his eyes to give the Scout a still surface to work on._ _

__Scout leant in, attempting to angle his hips away from the Engineer while he lined that razor up, pausing a moment before carefully drawing it down. Heat flared up over his face but at least it was mostly hidden behind white froth, and the rough drag of the blade along his cheek only made it seem more close and intimate._ _

__“Yeah, you bettah believe I will. Like I said, I'm a pro.”_ _

__Well, if he ended up with a few cuts, the hell did he care? He'd get along just fine, 'n it'd be well worth it._ _

__Scout sucked his teeth, washing the razor out in the shower before water before moving to slide it down the next patch of skin. And came away clean. The kid was doing surprisingly well for someone who looked to have the shaving aptitude of a fourteen year old girl. Scout moved to swiped that razor down again._ _

__“Whoops.” Scout lifted a thumb to wipe at a red dot on the Engineer's cheek._ _

__“Mph.” Well, maybe not that well._ _

__Dell definitely felt that, but it didn't bother him nearly as much as when he'd cut himself. Maybe that was because this time he almost liked it – not that he wanted the kid to cut him up, hell no, but it was just a risk that came from this. And hell, he was actually doin' pretty good so far otherwise. And so he said nothing else aside from that soft sound, easing his broad jaw up a bit higher as each patch of skin was cleared. He found the soap that Scout was still holding in his other hand and took it from him, just to make it easier on him to focus himself if need be._ _

__That freed up hand immediately found itself placed on the curve of the Engineer's shoulder as he worked another stripe down Engineer's face – no cuts this time. Scout rinsed the razor again, before his fingers shifted up, just brushing against the Engineer's chin, enough to guide his head slightly sideways so he could raze the razor down the other side of his face._ _

__The Engineer had opened his eyes somewhere along the line, and he was watching him now, that face so close and focused – agh, or maybe not so focused –_ _

__A couple more little red dots surfaced, “Uh, sorry.”_ _

__“S'alright,” Engineer muttered, cleaning his throat with a slight shift. “Jus' be careful, you're almost done...”_ _

__Scout rinsed the blade off again and looked Engineer over, flashing him a toothy grin, “Don't reckon you could've done better yerself.”_ _

__“S'at so?” Engineer didn't believe a word of it, from how his skin was irritatingly stinging, but that couldn't be beat and he smiled regardless, taking the razor from his after it'd been cleaned off in the water again._ _

__“Sure I ain't gonna get heckled soon as I step outta this here stall?”_ _

__“Uh, probably not? It's an ace job. Trust me.” Frankly, the Engineer didn't reckon he could trust Scout as far as he could throw him, “But, hey, uh, listen. If anyone asks. I had nothin' to do with it. _Nuh-tin'_.”_ _

__… well, now he'd just make it a point to stop by the sink on his way out. For some damage control._ _

__“You got it, String Bean,” he said, lifting a hand to pat the boy's cheek before he blinked, noting the suds still on his hand. He glanced down toward the bar of soap in his other fist and then chuckled, bracing his hand to the Scout's chest and pushing him into the wall just under the shower head. “Might as well thank ya now, right?”_ _

__“Sh-shit, Engie.” That small action seemed to have his cock stirring back to life – not that it had flagged much at all, “Y-yeah well, hurry it up, will ya? I'm about to turn into a freakin' prune over here.” The Scout wriggled his fingers for emphasis._ _

__Engineer idly turned the slab of soap over his palm a few times until it slipped out, and he supposed that was sign enough that he was done with it. Stepping closer, the Engineer ran his hand down the boy's chest, reaching his navel before dragging back up – giving his eyes a nice sudsy trail to look over._ _

__“M'sure you'll be fine,” he muttered, that freshly soaped hand sliding in even lower to brush across Scout's lower stomach, then further to grasp the base of his perky cock. Nhn, yessir... worth the cuts._ _

__Scout groaned quietly, hunching forward a little and arching his hips up into that grip. “Mh...”_ _

__“Y'like that boy?” Engineer knew he didn't have to ask, but hell, weren't nothin' wrong with a little vocalised assessment._ _

__His fist squeezed that strong, pulsing muscle before starting off with a nice and slow stroking pace. How easily his hand passed back and forth due to the soap only made it better, in his opinion, and his other hand slid against the Scout's chest to idly brush his slicked fingers over one of those pink nipples. Scout's breath hitched when Engineer's found those rosy nubs, and they hardened under his touch That body rose up to meet the other's while his prick throbbed in the Engineer's hand._ _

__“Fff... Y-Yeah. Y'ca – ah – freakin' say that.”_ _

__The Engineer just took a slow breath and watched his hands work, spreading those white bubbles over Scout's flesh, contrasting beautifully with the angry red flush of his cock. He picked up the pace a bit, licking his lips to growl out something else before –_ _

__He heard footsteps echoing into the locker room and Engineer froze. His higher hand slid up to clap over Scout's mouth, despite the suds on it. The younger man made to say something but it was thankfully muffled._ _

__“N'ay says tew'er, ay says... 'ya cannae take so long walkin' always if ya dun wan' me _lookin' _, lass!”___ _

____“Heh, s'at roight? 'en what?”_ _ _ _

____“... eh, she slapped meh. 'ad a bloodeh _fire_ in 'er, that one did!”_ _ _ _

____The Engineer held his breath, listening carefully as the Demo and Sniper made their way into the locker room area. It was only after hearing the sounds of the sinks turning on that he realised they weren't going to be using the showers, and his posture slumped a little with relief –_ _ _ _

____“ 'ay, 'o's in 'ere?”_ _ _ _

____– that is, until that moment. The fact that the shower was running was a dead give away._ _ _ _

____“S'just me!” Engineer called out, moving his hand from the Scout's mouth to just press his forefinger there. “How're you boy's doin'?”_ _ _ _

____While Sniper replied back that he was just listening to the Demo's shabby attempts at good stories, the Engineer glanced with concern toward the boy he currently had pinned against the shower stall. He looked terrified; not that he didn't have any reason not to. But still... His attention diverted momentarily, and then he tightened his hand around the boy's cock again, giving it a few more swift pumps and 'shushing' quietly under his breath._ _ _ _

____“Fuckin' Scout left his shit all over the place,” Sniper hissed after a moment of clinking and quiet mutters near the sinks, and after both mentally and physically flinching, he laughed, eyeing the Scout with the smile he forced in order to make his tone amicable._ _ _ _

____“Oh? Heh, well, yanno how that kid is. Saw 'im runnin' off a bit ago.”_ _ _ _

____“That kid’s always running round like a headless chook.” The Sniper snorted. “Where’e gets the energy, I got no bloody idea.”_ _ _ _

____Beside him, Scout had slumped forward. The Engineer could feel his body trembling under the spray of the water, staring down with something that the Engineer would certainly not call reciprocated enjoyment._ _ _ _

____His face paled as he realised that what he was doing was clearly not the thing that Scout wanted him to be doin', never mind the fact that the boy's cock still twitched keenly in his palm. His hands recoiled from him as if they'd been burned and he gulped, glancing quickly from off to one side to listen to the sounds beyond the shower and the boy, his mouth _moving_ but... not much else. Well, at first._ _ _ _

____“Shh shhh shh, I'm sorry,” Engineer whispered just above the rush of water, “I'm sorry.”_ _ _ _

____His hands moved like they wanted to touch him again, but he didn't let himself. Instead, he quickly came to a decision and reached down to grab his soap and the shaving kit, turning the water off afterwards and grabbing his towel. He wrapped it around his waist and hurried out of the stall._ _ _ _

____The two men were still at the sinks, and turned to greet him as the Engineer approached._ _ _ _

____“Been gettin’ colder recently, ain’t it? Almost like we're back on ColdFront.”_ _ _ _

____It hurt to smile and talk about the damn weather when he'd spooked the kid so badly._ _ _ _

____“Nothin' compares to that arse end of no where. Been two years of that shit and I still freeze my nutsack off every bloody winter.”_ _ _ _

____“Laddie, ye den know th’ meanin’ o’ cold until yoo’ve bin crease deep in snow in the hills'a Aviemore wi’ naethin’ but a kilt an’ a bottle ay Macallan tae keep ye warm.”_ _ _ _

____“I’m sure I’d agree with ya if I could understand even haf’a what y’just said.”_ _ _ _

____The Engineer kept his distance from his teammates, mainly because he was a little railed up under his towel himself, and he dried off haphazardly in front of his locker before changing into the fresh clothes he'd brought. He reached in to put the shaving kit away, when he noticed his ragged, cut reflection in the mirror. Holy hell... nope. Better keep that out so he could shave _all over again_._ _ _ _

____Eventually the Demo left, and a few minutes later, the Sniper. He waited until he couldn't hear their footfalls and fading laughter before finally feeling like he could breathe, taking the kit with him to the sinks and turning on the warm water._ _ _ _

____“... gone now,” he remarked, seemingly just to the air to any passerby. Which he made sure there were none, by the by._ _ _ _

____But the only sound Engineer received in response was a quiet sound, not really a whimper or a sob, but a soft, strained sound. Engineer took his razor out under the warm water and eyed his reflection again, as well as the reflection of the stalls … and after a moment, he turned, just letting the blade drop into the sink._ _ _ _

____“...Scout?” His brows lifted before a look of worry crossed his face._ _ _ _

____Engineer steeled himself with a deep breath and then carefully walked back into the stalls, his boots squeaking slightly against the wet floor. When he finally came upon the boy sitting down, pressed in on himself and white as a sheet, he faltered slightly before stepping into the stall and kneeling down, wet knees be damned._ _ _ _

____“Hey...” he offered, his voice soft and gentle, _careful_. “They're gone now, alright? S'okay...”_ _ _ _

____A heaving sigh escaped the Scout and he just breathed a moment before speaking, “Y-yeah. I know. I heard ya. Geez. I'm okay. I'm just... just sittin' down here. It's fine.” And slowly he uncurled, wiping a hand over his eyes, which weren't wet from crying but pinched, as if maybe he had wanted to. Or maybe that was just Engineer just misreading the younger man again._ _ _ _

____“I'm sorry,” Engineer murmured _again_ , his face practically reading all of the damn contempt for his stupid actions that he felt, “I kinda thought fer a minute that – well, I jus' … m'sorry.” He carefully reached out and pushed back a few of those wet strands from the boy's forehead, smoothing them back._ _ _ _

____“Woah, hey.” Scout caught the Engineer by the wrist and pulled his hand back, “Y'don't gotta fuss...”_ _ _ _

____The Engineer eased back as Scout got to his feet, pushing back the uncomfortable feeling in his gut when his hand was pushed away. No, that wasn't important. He got to his feet and plucked the wet material from his knees before lifting his hands as if in defeat._ _ _ _

____Scout turned his head away, staring at the stall wall. “Listen. It's cool when we're alone and stuff but... With all’a those other guys, I don't want to be known as a queer when it's just... y'know, ‘a thing'.”_ _ _ _

____A flicker of some emotion crossed his face, but was gone too quickly to be read, “I mean, at least you... You _are_. But me, well...”_ _ _ _

____“I know, son, I know,” he murmured, frowning more at his feet than at the Scout. “Let's jus' get you dressed. I didn't see a towel for ya, want me t'go get mine?”_ _ _ _

____“Yeah, if ya don't mind,” Scout mumbled._ _ _ _

____With a quick nod, Engineer's boots resumed their squeaking as he left the stalls, grabbing his used towel from his locker. He balled it up and, to keep from imposing on the Scout's space further, just grunted before tossing it over to him. Scout caught it in a fist and started wiping himself down; srubbing his face with it before sliding it up to smooth over his hair._ _ _ _

____After lingering a minute, Engineer'd... well, he'd give the boy time to get dressed and everything; figured he may as well fix up his shave._ _ _ _

____He'd left the water running in the sink, and it was damn near close to overflowing from just how cruddy and clogged the pipes already were. So to keep from making an even bigger mess, the Engineer moved over to the next one and relathered his face, careful of the places that had already been cut. He was just about finished when he spotted the boy in the mirror's reflection._ _ _ _

____“M'lucky the fellas didn't see yer handiwork,” he spoke carefully, though his grin was sincere – and a tad hopeful. “Looked like I lost a fight with a gahdamned lawnmower.”_ _ _ _

____Scout's lips curved up into a half grin, a small flash of white teeth visible through his parted lips. “Hey, it wasn't _that_ bad. I'd like to see you try an' do a better job on someone else. Ain't as easy as it looks, lemme tell ya.”_ _ _ _

____“'n I'd show ya one fer, too! If ya had more'n damn _peach fuzz_ ,” he chuckled, glancing down into the sink to set his razor aside and let his palms fill with water before he splashed his face, rinsing off the residue from the lather._ _ _ _

____There, much better. 'cept for them cuts, but they were all little, be gone in no time. He pat his face down with a few paper towels and made sure his shaving clean and dry too, before he returned it to his locker. He glanced over his shoulder to watch the Scout pull on the clothes he'd left scattered about._ _ _ _

____“You didn't bring nothin' new to change into?”_ _ _ _

____“Nah, didn't really think about it. I mean, geez, I didn't even bring a towel or nothin'...” Scout replied casually, pulling up his socks, not bothering to tuck them under his trousers._ _ _ _

____“Well, that's all right, but I'd suggest ya skiddadle t'yer room 'n fix that problem right up.”_ _ _ _

____The Engineer made sure things were properly righted in his locker before closing it, and then his dirty clothes were hefted over to the laundry hamper. He didn't remember whose turn it was to take care of the clothes... either way, they wouldn't be gettin' done for a while unless he wasn't to handle it himself. 'n he didn't._ _ _ _

____“Right, yeah, sure thing. Don't want no one to get any funny ideas or whatever.” Scout yanked on his sneakers, stuffing the laces into the sides of his shoes. He straightened up when he was dressed,_ _ _ _

____“Y'gonna go straight to breakfast then or y'gonna come? I won't be long or nothin' so y'can go ahead if ya want. Maybe save me some bacon. Well, if there's even any left. I know how Heavy likes to take four helpin's a'everythin'.”_ _ _ _

____“I reckon I could save ya a plate if ya want. Could use a good cup'a coffee anyway,” Engineer muttered, scratching at the top of his hand before his hands ducked deep into his pockets._ _ _ _

____He wanted to step up and just give the kid a quick peck on the cheek or... hell, even a fond pat, but – this was still 'out in the open', as it were, and he figured he'd done more than enough to make the Scout uncomfortable._ _ _ _

____Scout laughed, stepping back and Engineer guessed he'd been a little too easy to read with the way he was shifting about, “What? Ya lookin' for a kiss or somethin', chucklehead?”_ _ _ _

____When the Engineer didn't say anything, Scout seemed to take this as his cue to leave – or rather run off, hovering near the door long enough to remind the Engineer, “Yeah, and four bits of toast if they got 'em”._ _ _ _

____The Engineer was left alone in the locker rooms to just mutter an “W'alright,” to himself, before he heaved a sigh and shook a finger at himself in the nearest mirror's reflection._ _ _ _

____He was lettin' that little shit get to him, s'what he was doin'. But he could scold himself properly later, for the moment he just shook his legs a bit, one after the other to ease the feeling of wet denim from his knees, and then headed out to get to the mess._ _ _ _

____Bacon and four pieces'a toast. Even if that meant he'd skip out on the same things, he was gonna make _damn_ sure the Scout got some._ _ _ _


	7. I got a boy (and his name is)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Names.

“And can ya freakin' buh- _lieve_ it? So I says to the guy, 'listen up, chump. I ain't gonna take that from nobody, _nobody_ , ya hear?' So ya know what I do next?”

After breakfast, the pair went their separate ways. And by that, the Engineer had gone back to his workshop to do some actual work and the boy had run off god-knows-where. Peace and quiet in his workshop was always a fleeting thing, however. After a few hours of solid work, by mid-afternoon, Scout had turned up to ‘help’.

“I beat his teeth in. No, seriously. He lost two of his front freakin' teeeth. And that's when my bros come in and start whalin' on dem other guys and I'm jus' like, 'Yeah! And that's why it's called a strike-out, moron!' And then the fuckin' wuss just starts cryin' for his mom. Hahaha, oh man. For his _mom_!

“Anyway, so that's how I got kicked out of the Little League's the _first_ time.”

“Uh-huh...”

It wasn't that the Engineer wasn't listening, it was just that he was distracted. And not really listenin'.

He'd put up a good fight, though! It was just that, after the third or fourth or _eighth_ story told with the same eager, not-stopping-to-breath pace, the mind started to wander. And equations were much simpler to focus on. Even these difficult ones which were just about eluding him.

Dell rolled the pencil between his thick knuckles as he eyed the set of logarithms on the graphed blue paper, tapping the eraser to his bottom lip and furrowing his brow. Somethin' wasn't right with those... but what was it...

Oh, but right. He had company. _Incessant_ company.

“– _first_ time, ya said?”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” the Scout bragged, not even aware that Engineer may have been less than interested. “At the time I hadn't even grown into my batting helmet proper. Course it was my brother Donny's and he was a couple'a years older than me. Cus y'know, most of my stuff was kinda hand-me-down. Well, actually, all of it was. But y'know, Ma always said there was no point buyin' new stuff when there was perfectly good old stuff.

“Course my helmet had this huge-ass dent in it, probably the size of my fist, so it wasn't all perfectly good … actually, I'm pretty sure that was Dennis's fist that did it.”

“S'at right...”

Maybe the measurements were off. That had to be it, he was just workin' with the wrong numbers. Engineer slipped the pencil into his mouth and leaned over with a creak from his work bench, tugging open a rickety file cabinet and let his fingers skim over the folders.

“So anyway, when I turned ten I got kicked out for the second time.”

Nope nope nope nope, gah – was that boy _still_ talkin'? – well, 'least he preferred Scout in a good mood to the shape he'd been in earlier. …ah, there it was.

He snatched a thick folder and the papers inside went fluttering on top of the desk, the Engineer now looking over the self-made sketches of papers and the tiny scrawled measurements etched at every end and angle.

“So get this, right. Jerry O'Sullivan from over on Fenway, who couldn't throw for shit, by the way,  
and he also had this kind of funny eye thing where he could never look straight at ya, and it's like – why was he on the damn team, I mean, he was some kinda retard, ya get me?

“Anyway, we was at practise and he was pitchin', right? And it was my turn to swing. So anyway, I get out there and I'm like, ‘Yo, Jerry, try to keep ya eye on the ball, ya wimp’, because like I said, he was a total spastic. And anyway, ya know what he does then? – the jerk fuckin' whips it right at me! I wasn't even properly ready or nothin'! And I wasn't really lookin' neither cus otherwise I would'a batted it right back at his stupid head.

“So anyway, the moron hits me with the thing and it gets me right in the shin and I'm jus' like 'What the fuck', ya know? Cus it fuckin' hurts – you ever been hit in the leg with a baseball goin' 90mph, cus lemme tell ya, it fuckin' smarts – not that I'm a wuss or nothin', nah, I had way worse – but anyway, so I was basically like freakin' hell, this is so _on_.

“So then I'm runnin' at him, still grippin' my bat and I'm aiming it for O'Sullivan's big, stupid head and the coach is runnin' after me and he's shoutin', “Hit the bricks, J- er, Scout! Don't ya hit 'im!” but it's too late cus like I said, I got my bat and so now I'm standin' there beatin' in his freakin' knee caps, ya get me and anyway –”

The Engineer's eyes were this close to rolling. Honestly, it was gettin' to be way too much. Obnoxious wasn't a pleasant word, but... boy, was it sure fittin'. And just as he turned his irritated expression toward the boy – he faltered.

J.

Scout's name started with a J.

The mathematics of those damn parts was suddenly... less interesting, but he continued scribbling and making notes while nodding absently. Only now, it wasn't so absent. Scout had only barely caught himself, and he didn't want to be dishonest or anything, of course, but maybe he could play with that kid's loose tongue.

“ 'n ya were _ten_?” At least he thought Scout had mentioned that age, anyway. “Ain't very nice behaviour fer a kid. Bet yer Ma had somethin' t'say about that, huh?”

The Scout laughed, “She went freakin' _nutso_. Seriously, beat me black and blue. Ya should'a heard her. 'If yer father were here 'ed know just what t'do with ya'.” Scout attempted what Engineer could only assume was a poor impression of the kid's mother, “'Disgrace t'the rest of ya team – I just paid for a whole season and this is what y'do. Just think what Mrs. Brodowski is gonna say when she hears about you ag'en.'

“Oh man, what a joke, right? And then for the next couple of days it's all 'Ja – er’, she's like usin' my full name and shit and I'm grounded for seriously _ever_.”

Ah, a little bit closer. Engineer idly chewed on the end of that pencil – a habit his mother never took to lightly – running over all of the names he could think of with that first syllable. Course, he also had to pay attention to those context clues, too.

“Must'a been tough. Always stings when yer Ma starts usin' the full names,” he agreed with a nod, copying down a random equation without any thought, just to look like he was still half-listening. If the Scout was even that observant. “Probably used t'her usin', what, a nickname instead, right?”

“Oh yeah, sure. Nobody much called me by my first name, and especially not first _and_ middle name. What a joke that would be, right? Can you imagine? Like my brother Donald was Donny and Michael was jus' Mike, usually, although sometimes he was Mickey Doodle jus' cus that annoyed the crap outta him.”

Scout paused to laugh, grinning like he was remembering a fond memory. “Course ya always gotta do what ya Ma says when she gets that tone, 'specially if she's usin' full names cus you know that she's seriously gonna give it to ya if ya start messin' about.

“But I mean, that was okay, really. Better that than when I was good cus then it was her 'lil’ Jim-Jam'... I mean, aw crap.”

The Engineer smirked, moving to erase all of the idle writings on his blueprint. He never thought he'd be thankful that the Scout's mouth was almost faster than he was, but... well, first time for everything.

Either way, that was one problem solved.

“Yeah, ya look like a Jimmy,” he muttered cheerfully, and then he was able to actually get back to his work. He flipped open a book and dragged it close, muttering to himself as he eyeballed the index to find where to turn.

Meanwhile the Scout was flushing darkly, rubbing a hand over his heated cheeks. “Yeah well, don't you be spreadin' that around, pal. And don't even commit that nickname to _memory_. It's embarrassing enough when my Ma says it in front of company and stuff, like, c'mon Ma, how old do you think I am? I ain't five anymore.”

“Awh, now what's wrong with Jim-Jam? I think it's cute,” he muttered, just barely making it through that statement before he sputtered and had to put his gloved hand over his mouth. It wasn't as if he was doing it on purpose – it was just... it was adorable, and thinking of adorable and the Scout was, well how _couldn't_ a guy laugh?

“Jesus Christ.” Scout mumbled, pulling his hat down over his burning ears. “Me and my big fuckin' mouth. Why do you let me do this to myself, man? Well, whatever. I'm still tougher than all'a youse put together.”

Engineer snickered and swiped a gloved finger under his nose before reaching over and giving the boy's knee a good-natured jostle. “M'sorry, kid. Just foolin' with ya is all.”

“Well...” The Scout sniffed. “Jus' Jim or Jimmy is fine. Hell, I'm so used to everyone callin' me 'Scout' it's weird to hear anyone sayin' anything else. Though I catch ya callin' me _that_ and there'll be trouble. I'm warnin' ya.”

But Scout was grinning despite himself. And his hand dropped down from where it was fiddling with the brim of his cap to brush over the back of the Engineer's where it rested on his knee. But just as soon as the warmth of the boy's palm had touched his own, Scout had pulled it away.

“Y'can trust me, son.” The Engineer smiled and gave the boy's kneecap another pat.

“So's Jimmy short fer James,” he asked conversationally, pushing himself to his feet and setting those blueprints into that book to mark the place. He decided, with this new development, maybe he could take a little break – he doubted Scout would let him fully immerse himself in his work anyway.

“Yeah,” Scout replied, sliding off the stool he'd been sitting on with a noisy creak. “But like I said, Jimmy's better. James makes me feel like I've done somethin' bad. And no one never called me it anyway.”

“I like 'em both, think James is jus' a lil... mature soundin' for ya,” he chuckled, turning so that he could rest his hips back against the edge of his work table. His arms folded across his chest and he just watched his teammate. Having company in here so often was definitely odd... but he kinda liked it. Especially considerin' what he could _do_ with this sorta company.

“Yeah, well you seen that I'm plenty mature where it counts, _Dellford_ ,” the Scout grinned at him, “At least my name don't sound like the name'a someone's grandpa.”

“ 'ey,” Engineer huffed and reached over to snag one of the Scout's belt hoops, giving him a swift yank over. “Watch it, son.” Though, truth be told... that was a fair assessment. At least his name wasn't as old-soundin' as his actual great relatives, like Radigan.

“Oh, yeah?” the Scout continued to grin, letting himself be tugged forward, “Whatcha gonna do about it, _Dell_? Put me in the corner for a time out while you go take a nap?”

The Engineer smirked up at the boy, suddenly not minding the difference in height one bit. He was still broader, stronger. And he knew just how to twist his workds around to work the Scout up, too. Seemed he had the upper hand.

“Well, if that's yer way'a suggestin' I leave ya _alone_ fer a bit...” he muttered, shrugging as if he were considering that.

“Now, wait a second...” Scout's tongue flicked over his lips and a hand moved to the Engineer's shoulder, gripping it like he really was afraid that the other man would move away. “No need ta'get all hasty. I mean, I could come over there with ya. Y'know, help ya relax if you get my drift.” 

And as if he hadn't made his point clear enough, he nudged his hips forward ever so slightly.

“Oh, yeah...?” Engineer grinned; and oh, he noticed that slight pressure. It sent a flood of warmth washing right into his gut – but he wouldn't act on that yet. He was suddenly very curious just how much he could wring out of his eager company. “Well then, I reckon it'd be rude to turn down an offer like that,” he muttered, pulling away from the Scout to step over to his cot in the corner of the room. 

“Why'ont you come over here 'n relax me, then.”

And the boy all but stumbled over himself in his hurry to follow the older man, racing past him over to the Engineer's bed where he planted himself in the middle of it, mattress groaning beneath the sudden weight. Scout drew one leg up to rest on the frame of the cot while a hand patted the space beside him.

“Come on, don't let me keep you waitin'.”

Engineer glanced at the boy on his bed – too many memories of their previous romp in the sheets coming to mind, not that it was a bad thing – but it slowed him up a bit and he spread almost a sheepish grin, tugging the material over his legs up a bit at the thigh before sitting down.

The grunt he gave when his weight settled was only partially embarrassing, but hopefully he wouldn't have to suffer anymore jokes about his age for it. Looking at the boy beside him, still grinning, it had seemed like he'd wanted to; some snide jab on the edge of his tongue... but then he'd mirrored the Engineer's almost sheepish expression, shifting sightly so the bed groaned again and then asked instead,

“So uh, y'wanna make out?”

The laugh that bursted out of the Engineer was completely unplanned, but nothing short of sincere. It took him by surprise, and he almost felt like... well, like he was the Scout's age with one of his first beau's. Only this wasn't some pretty little thing with God-fearin' parents and a buxom chest. Nah, this situation was much, much different.

“... you gonna go beatin' yerself up for it after?” he found himself asking, his expression sobering a bit. That didn't stop him from leaning closer, however.

Scout suddenly looked hesitant. “Nah, uh. Well. There ain't nothin' gay about making out. Just... y'know, it's just kissin' and stuff. Big freakin' deal, right?”

There was that selective memory again. And well, while he was glad the Scout was, at least for now, admitting that he wouldn't recoil on his idea later, he still didn't find himself sitting too well with that... 'logic' of his.

“ _Scout_ ,” he sighed, his eyes closing momentarily so that he could rub the base of his ungloved palm into one of them. “Look, son. … it _is_ gay. A'ight? Don't talk to a gay fella about what is and ain't gay. I know _why_ yer sayin' it, I _do_ , but... shit, boy, I can't keep listenin' to it without gettin' a damn migraine.”

“Yeah, but it can't be,” the Scout reasoned, not thinking, “Cus I ain't or nothin' but I still wanna do it. Come it's easy. Just c'mere and we'll, y'know, make out for a bit and then you can give me a hand job and then I guess I'll do the some for ya and it'll be all frickin' sweet. Nothin' gay 'bout two guys just enjoyin' each other. Well, I mean... _you're_ gay and that's fine. Anyway, c’mere.”

The boy leant in, and the Engineer wanted to. Lord Almighty, he wanted to. It’d be easy to just forget everything the Scout said, pull him down into the sheets and make himself feel better — but then, in the end, it wouldn’t make him feel any better. Just a temporary fix to an even bigger problem.

Engineer allowed his hand to be moved away from his face, but braced it against the Scout’s shoulder and hold him back. He eyed his own lap and sighed.

“This ain’t healthy, boy…” he muttered, shaking his head and only sparing a look at him from the corner of his vision.

“…yer not jus’ spendin’ all this time with me ‘cause I’m that way inclined, right? I mean, I know that’s plausible ‘n everything, since I’m willin’— _generally_ — t’do all this with ya. But… does _any_ of it got to do with me bein’… yanno, _me_?”

Scout stared at him, perplexed. “…Yes?”

Well, he didn’t know what else he was expecting— could he really say that he crumbled to the Scout’s proposal that night out at the truck because of who he was, or because of what he was offerin’? Sure, he’d felt right lousy about certain things afterward, but that wasn’t the point. It wasn’t fair to hold the kid to a higher standard than himself…

‘Course, he’d like to think that he didn’t think that same way anymore. Scout was growing on him. He was starting to notice little things, things he’d never even considered to watch for before; subtle charms and faults that only seemed more and more endearing. But then, on the other side of things, it seemed that Scout was just taking advantage of this opportunity while he had it. Hell, that should be fine with him – Scout was young, he was learning. Or was he just giving the kid excuses for his own benefit?

Damnit.

Engineer’s posture was slumping by the second, until in the end he just hunched forward with his head in his hands, absently scratching over the back of his head and closing his eyes in a slight wince. He felt a headache comin’ on.

“I’ll be honest with ya, this is… tirin.”

Scout licked his teeth. “Listen, Engie…” he started, then exhaled and started again, looking down at his bandaged hands. “Engie. I don’t know… I don’t know what the hell is happenin’ wit me, all right.”

He shifted on the bed, and the mattress creaked beneath him. “But I… I don’t hate you.”

The Engineer didn’t look at him, but he was listening.

“I mean, Geez, you think _you’re_ tired? You ain’t the one who’s gotta deal with all this shit up here, man. You already got it all figured out. I don’t… I don’t want _none_ ’a this… but it’s like I can’t even help it. Y’just don’t understand how…how bad I want’cha. And how good you feel. But also like, how bad I don’t fuckin’ wanna be like _that_.”

Alright… alright. He could talk this out. They could figure this out. He just had to keep trying. And the easiest way for Dell Conagher to go about a problem was to do it scientifically.

“Okay, son. Itemize. List it out. Why’re you so damn worried about bein’ gay. Is it just yer folks? Society? D’you think it’s, what… _emasculatin’_? Unhealthy, _immoral_? Think it’s gonna turn ya into some kinda limp-wristed _woman_?”

He didn’t even like tossing out all of those options— he’d felt the sting of doubt with all of them in his life, at least for a short time. Course… he wasn’t ever touchin’ on a man and tellin’ himself he was straight neither.

“Well, _yeah_.” The last word more like an exhale of breath than an admission. “I mean. It’s just… It’s _wrong_. Y’know. And I’m like, I’m all— I mean, I just _can’t_ be. I just want’ta be… I just want to be _normal_ like everyone else. I don’t wanna be different or nothin.’ I mean, not like this. Some fuckin’ sissy crybaby with his head all crushed into the pavement cus’ someone caught him mackin’ some other guy.”

As he spoke, the Scout smoothed his palm over the top of his head, brushing it over and over through the light brown strands. “Not to mention my brothers would kick the fuckin’ shit out’a me if they found out I was messin’ around like this, or that I was… like even remotely… a-and my ma, my freakin’ _mom_ would just be… I don’t know how she’d be. Disappointed, probably. Yeah.”

Engineer couldn’t help but snort, albeit ruefully, and he propped his chin up on his knuckles and watched the Scout out of the corner of his eye.

“You _really_ think you’d ever let yerself be some ‘cry baby’, boy?

“I think yer just… I think yer worried that it’s somehow gonna _change_ how ya already are. And boy, that ain’t right. Yer always gonna be Scout. Gonna be Jimmy. Anythin’ that you feel. It ain’t new, s’always been there, or… s’developed from somethin’. I dunno, I’m ramblin’,” he seemed to just breathe all that out without thinking it over.

Whether it had any bearing or made any sense — hell, he didn’t know. It was just so frustrating and he wished he knew how to say the right things and just soothe all of Scout’s worries.

“And… damnit, yer a grown man. Yer business is _yer_ business. You don’t feel comfortable with certain things out in the open? Then don’t put ‘em out there.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess y’might be right.” After a painfully long time of just staring at his lap, Scout slumped back with a sigh. “I mean, we’ve been doin’ all’a this shit and I ain’t some cry baby yet so…”

Engineer watched him exhale, his expression softening with each breath. “S’right.” He nodded with a few bobs of his head, straightening his posture in order to stretch his back.

“A man can go ‘round… doin’ what he does ‘n still be a man. I’ve been ‘ve this mind fer a helluva long time, let me tell you, ‘n if _anyone_ accused me of bein’ less ‘ve a man?” He gave a snort and his shook his head, partially in amusement and partially in… that slightly evil way he let out every once in a while. “I’d _flatten_ their sorry, stupid asses.”

The corner of Scout’s lips twitched up, flexing his fingers as if he were itchin’ to pummel someone who dared call him anything else. “Yeah…” He said with growing confidence. “Yeah, that’s right. I’m more fuckin’ man than most people around here.”

He slapped his fist into his palm, looking more determined than he had a couple of minutes ago. “Don’t mean nothin’ that we’re… er, Well, whatever.”

Engineer flashed a smile and leaned back against his hand, only faltering from that position to clap a hand against the boy’s thin back, squeezing one of his shoulders and giving it a fond jostle. 

“Yessir.” Scout didn’t have to say what they were, wasn’t any need. Progress was progress. Sweet, sweet progress.

“So uh,” the Scout started, blue eyes turning to look at him. “Y’wanna make out now or what?”

The Engineer just laughed and shoved him right off the bed.


	8. For the good times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team throws a party and everyone gets drunk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting just in time (kinda) to celebrate Christmas here.

The Engineer was relieved that things were turning around for the better. His blood pressure could only take so many days filled with tension and frustration, after all. And any issues he _did_ have were vented on the battlefield; cocking his shotgun behind the brilliant flashing and ear-deafening shots from his favourite sentry while a nearby dispenser unit kept him covered with a comfortable heat. Shells could rain down on the floor and he’d never run out of ammunition; he could fire and fire until his arms were sore. He could also grin and laugh as maniacally as he wanted, especially any time he was able to catch a damn RED Spy trying to sap his equipment.

He could let himself _relax_. Enjoy a good fight without worryin’ about… all that damn shit. Scout’s feelings or _his_ feelings or wonderin’ if the kid was going to be ornery that day and try to avoid him, or if _he_ should be avoiding him out of politeness, or if he’d be getting an unexpected visitor that evening who _wouldn’t stop talking_ until he stilled that mile-a-minute mouth with a kiss… not that that lat one was really so bad, but still.

And after the battles, win or lose, he still felt good. A sore pride was easily mendable as long as the Soldier wasn’t yelling in his face, and the stern (and damn crazy) man had been seeing his side of things lately. He’d even stopped claiming he was from Canada, which was nice.

He still spent time with the Scout. With _Jimmy_ , but there was talk of possibly having to move out to Thunder Mountain soon, so a lot of effort was being put into getting things together, _just_ in case—it wouldn’t be the first time they’d been ordered to bug out one day just to have the whole thing cancelled the next. Either way, it gave him an excuse to organise the Respawn Data Room, as well as his workshop.

However, being busy also upped the need for morale, and after a stalemate battle in the morning and an afternoon of packing up near about everything in the armory, the Team decided to have a little shin-dig. It was the Demoman’s idea, and that always meant one thing; they’d be up to their elbows in liquor.

After the Soldier had reluctantly given clearance (not that he was actually ranked higher above any of them to warrant needing to give permission – although it saved an argument), the lounge was set up for the festivities. They didn’t exactly have a lot of supplies, but the Medic brought in his phonograph, which Engineer couldn’t help with ogle and pine over. It was a beauty; the etched date was 1907 and the bell was wide and silver – the Doc took real good care of her, that he did. He brought along several of his own records, knowing that the German took a liking to classical music more than anything else. And he knew that Soldier would appreciate his Elvis records over an instrumental from some _foreigner_.

The Pyro and Spy spent their time cooking, the former frying up every friable food he could find while the latter whipped up little sandwich things that looked to be more vegetable than meat, and little frozen shrimp they had been saving for a special occasion. And boredom and overwork was definitely a special occasion.

Scout, being Scout, was in charge of nothing in regard to both the possible move and the party, except making sure he kept out of the way. Which, apparently in Scout’s mind, meant he was in charge of entertainment, and as he’d only told Engineer at least a hundred times the day before, was making sure that none of that ‘whacko German opera shit’ was playing. And also a, ‘and no offense, Engie but if I have to listen to Johnny Cash whinin’ over a guitar one more time I’ll fuckin’ kill myself and why’re you playin’ it in here so loud all the time anyway? You can’t even hear me over all’a the noise.’

The other thing he’d decided he was in charge of was the decoration. It looked like the Engineer’s high school prom in here right now. Except there was a Christmas-looking tree crammed into the corner, with a tangle of lights spread over it rather than strung around it. And it was also mid-November. Still, Engineer appreciated the kid’s enthusiasm.

The Engineer set on one of Sniper’s favourite Louis Armstrong records and then he and Spy set up a small coffee table with some chairs and stools for a game of cards. Once things were in order and everyone had a beer (or a merlot or a peach beeline as the case may be), he sat down and dealt cards to the group of five: the Medic, Heavy, and Sniper joining in on the game. Dell had taught the Russian how to play poker, it was one of his favourite games just because the rules were so easy to pass on, and he idly wondered when he’d be able to get down to the inventory for another high stakes game.

Manning the liquor supply like a happy watchdog, the Scottsman shook his empty bottle of unnamed Scrumpy and then shrugged, uncorking two other drinks to mix together and fill the beloved bottle back up. When he spotted the Scout surreptitiously deposit his half-eaten shrimp cocktail into the pot plant next to the couch, and start sidling over to the where he was, the Demoman lifted a foot and slammed the lid of the cooler shut.

“Agck! ‘n jus’ _wot_ d’ye suppose ye be doin’? Here y’are laddeh, a _nice_ sodeepop for your _wee_ toomeh,” the Demoman snickered, tossing Scout a can of the carbonated fizzy drink.

Scout caught the soda and his face screwed up in disgust. “Y’can’t have freakin _soda pop_ at a party. That’s like against the… consistution or summin’! I don’t want none’a this shit.”

Shaking the can to punctuate his point, he tossed it back. With an amused snort, Demoman ducked out of the way, twisting back just in time to see the soda hit the wall and spurt open with a loud hiss. A lopsided, shit-eating grin spread over the man’s face and he cupped one hand to the side of his mouth, entirely ready to unleash some havoc.

“ ‘ay lads! Da Scoot’s makin’ a plum _filtheh mess_ o’er here!!”

Those at the makeshift poker table paused in their hands, chairs creaking and bodies turning to look across the lounge. The Engineer tipped the brim of his hardhat up with a thumb, his goggles hanging loose around his neck (though sometimes they were a damn fine tool fer a proper ‘poker face’), and instead of laughing he forced him to click his tongue in a scolding manner.

“Don’t make a mess, son. S’almost good carpetin’, there.”

“Aw, Geez!” Scout stared at the red, fizzling liquid leaking across the carpet. “You need’ta learn to catch, chucklehead!”

The Soldier marched over, with perfect timing, shoving the Scout aside with enough force to knock him on his ass, and popping open the cooler that the Demoman had his foot resting on.

“Leave the boy be with your _mind games_ , Deborah,” he snorted gruffly, retrieving two beers and thrusting one into the Scout’s chest hard enough to nearly break the thick glass it was made of. Or some ribs.

“If Scout wants to be treated like a MAN, then it’s his God given, American RIGHT. And so is his right to DRINK like a man!” The Soldier cast one his unsettling grins and then dropped onto the old sofa next to the Pyro, who was mindlessly watching the poker game.

Scout jabbed a finger into the Demoman’s chest, while the other gripped the beer he had been given. “Yeah, my _AMERICAN_ right.” 

Demoman shrugged, tipping back the he’d mixed together earlier. “Aye, aye. Just a wee bit’o fun that’s all. No need’a get yeh britches in a knot.”

The Engineer watched the exchange carefully, but the next round had already started up and he found himself troubled with a terrible hand. The Spy, however, was already snorting in that haughty manner of his, and he’d have to watch himself.

As it turned out, the Spy did have a good hand. And then another, and then another. Eventually the Sniper, souring with each hand he’d lost, began to make certain quips under his breath about cheating and it resulted in an argument between the two men. The Engineer just took it as an opportunity to set his cards down and toss back the rest of his beer.

Of course, like most of their squabbles, it settled down in the end and they got to continue their game. The Heavy cashed out first because he wanted to eat, and the Medic excused himself soon after to do the same. That left a few seats open and after opening up his second beer, the Texan glanced toward Scout, who was now sitting on the soldier between Soldier and Pyro, gesturing to call him over.

“Why’ont ya join us, Scout? Ya know the rules?”

“Yeah, ‘corse I do.” Scout grinned, hefting himself up off the sofa with an uncertain wobble. “Jus, don't no one start cryin’ with I beat all’a yer asses.”

He left his empty beer bottle on the floor next to the couch and picked another two out of the cooler before stumbling over to the poker table. He made, what Engineer thought was a cute, if not shameful, show of popping open the beer cap for him before taking the seat beside him. “Thought you could use another.”

The Frenchman all but _guffawed_ at the display, potentially snorting his wine up his nose, but the Engineer smiled with a grateful nod even though his second beer only had about one swig taken from it. He wasn’t planning on stopping at two anyway, so this was just efficient.

He liked efficiency.

“Well, let’s deal ya in, then!” he chuckled, taking the card pile and dealing the Scout a hand before he went back to his own cards. Oh! Good _golly_ Miss Molly, he pulled a fantastic hand!

Beside him, Scout was staring at his cards dumbly. Undeterred by his obvious lack of understanding, grinned easily and took another sip from his beer. “Oh, yeah. You knuckleheads are gonna ged’dit now.”

“Chroist. All right. I’m in.”

“Oui, in.”

“Count me in too, fellas.”

The small bits of wadded papers that counted for poker chips were tossed to the middle of the table as everyone made their bets, raised, and so on. In the end, it was Engineer’s full house that won him the hand, and he happily reached forward to scoop up all the paper bits with a celebratory grin.

“Whooee! Mighty kind’a you boys, thank ya!”

The Scout snorted as he threw down his hand in defeat. “Whatever, I’m just warming up, old man. C’mon. Deal the next round, Frenchy.”

“S’what I like to hear,” Engineer chuckled, reaching over to give the Scout’s shoulder a jostle before the next round began.

By the time he was almost out of paper bits thanks to a sudden bout of luck from the Sniper, and his fourth bottle of beer was near empty, he was finding far too many things humorous and he’d just snicker behind his hand of cards, regardless of whether lady luck was smiling or not.

A large hand suddenly clapped onto the Scout’s shoulder and the Heavy leaned over him, a booming grin on his face as he sat a tray of skewered fried food on the middle of the table.

“You all must try! Is _delicious_ … ah… is…” The man’s brows gave a slight furrow downward and he glanced back over his shoulder, his prominent voice only bellowing louder.

“ _Doktor!_ What you say is called?!”

“Zey are _kabobs_ , meine freund…”

“Da! Is _ka_ -bob! _Pyro_ made!”

“Mmmph hrrdrr hrr!”

“What the hell _is_ it?” Not waiting for an answer to his own question, Scout grabbed two skewers in either hand and took a bite from each stick. And then another, and another. “Oh my freakin’ God. This is – mph – like fuckin’ – mphmph – amazin’! Like y’gotta – mph – try this.”

The Soldier came to grab a skewer from over the Engineer’s shoulder, and the hand the man had braced on top of his hardhat had him nearly slumping out of the side of his chair. He was feelin’ close to a limp noodle right about now, boiled right in the damn pot. And even that was funny.

As the Soldier ate directly above him, and the Scout ate open mouthed as he continued to talk, he grabbed one of the remaining skewers and stuffed the first speared bit of meat into his mouth. He hummed with satisfaction, his free hand absently going for what was left of his beer.

“You see this, men?! THIS is how you cook in AMERICA! This is how a true, hot-blooded AMERICAN m—“ The Soldier paused, casting the masked man a suddenly suspicious glance.

“Well… you ARE American, aren’t you?”

The Pyro neither shook his head nor nodded – so the question was as good as unanswered. 

– and the Engineer also found that hilarious.

Scout choked out a laugh beside him, although his choking was due to the fact he’d jammed the other skewer into his mouth, trying to bite the morsels free in a needlessly complicated process with limited success.

He watched the boy out of the corner of his eye, admiring the rosy hue spreading across his youthful face. “Watch out, I think he said he was Canadian, eh?” Scout laughed and the Engineer could feel his warm breath against his shoulder.

The Soldier went ramrod straight and about-faced to march right to the sofa and stare the Pyro down, his bright eyes wild and blazing beneath his helmet.

“Canadian?! You’re one of those maple-sucking hippie-loving hockey-playing NANCYS, private?!”

“Mmph! Nnh, nnh!” The Pyro shook his head rather enthusiastically with his hands lifted in utter surrender.

“Think ‘e’s sayin’ no, mate,” the Sniper offered, the warm rig of his mug of spiked coffee still sitting against his bottom lip.

“…oh. Well GOOD. Because I will not tolerate any more HIPPIES in my UNIT.”

That seemed to be the end of that and Solider sat down next to Pyro without a shred of leftover animosity. Meanwhile the Engineer pinched the bottom of his skewer between his fingertips and drug it all the way to the top, dumping the meat and vegetables onto the table in front of him so that he could just eat it like finger food. He was also able to get a few pieces in at a time that way.

He didn’t even mind the weight of Scout slumped against his shoulder, not at all. In fact, he even offered a piece of meat right up to the boy’s lips, muttering something that was probably words, but came out incomprehensible from his full, slurring mouth. Scout licked that piece of meat into his mouth and chewed, but not before lathing his tongue across the Engineer’s oily fingers, licking up some of that grease. Scout’s hand had also found itself pressed against his thigh, which didn’t go entirely unappreciated.

The Engineer just grinned as the Scout his offering, and he plucked up a few more sliced peppers to finish off his serving before popping each fingertip into his mouth and sucking off the lingering taste. That’s all the boy had been doing anyway, it was a good idea when dealin’ with good food!

The Demoman was barely on his feet at all, but some magic had gotten him over to the record player and Pyro’s gloved hands slapped together in an excited clap before the Engineer could even tell that the Scotsman had put on his Johnny Cash album.

Hey! The Scout loved it, too! Oh lordie, why hadn’t he brought his _guitar_?

“Ah fell iiin’ta a burnin’ ring’ve fire… ‘n… down down dooown, ‘n t’ flames ‘nnh high’r…” even with the slurring the Engineer’s voice dropped down to match the deep tremor of ol’ Cash, it was just lacking that talented _finesse_.

And pronunciation.

But at least he was doing better than the Pyro as his foot tapped on the ground and his hand smacked the edge of the table to try and keep up with the tempo—the fire starter was happily muffling along with what was one of his favourite songs.

“Oh, not this song again.” Scout slurred into his shoulder, “Don’t know why you guys listen to this crap.”

“This song’s _beautiful_ , son,” the Engineer huffed, pounding the table with his fist and squooshing the paper bits that symbolised his winnings—not that they’d been betting actual money this time. They were all rich as hell, or they were going to be if the paychecks kept up, so there was no need for being greedy. But those bits, yeah—they were worth something in a sort of figurative way, and so the Texan removed his hardhat and brushed them all into it for safe keeping.

Scout’s hand slid down and squeezed the Engineer’s knee. The warm pressure was kinda nice, and he glanced with a bit of surprise toward the Scout before merely offering him a grin and waving a digit in his face.

“S’ _beautiful_.”

“And AMERICAN.”

“Tut. Ze man eez nozzing more zan a talentless drunkard.”

“Yer jus’a bletherin’ _git_. He’s my bloodeh kind’a guy!”

The Scout flushed as he grinned back, sheepishly. “Dunno, there’s plenty a’other music out there without resortin’ to this yokel.”

The conversation continued as Demoman suggested that Cash’s songs would be better if accompanied by bagpipes, and regardless of whether he was too drunk to realise what he was saying or entirely serious, it elicited groans and objections from most of the team, the loudest being that of the Heavy. But that was only because he _was_ the loudest.

However, as he calmly lit a cigarette, the Spy glanced over the table, lips curled in a smug sort of impertinence that he just loved to flaunt when pestering his colleagues.

“Eet appears as sough you ‘ave a _leech_ , Labourer…”

The Engineer blinked for a moment, at first looking down at himself with a startled jump before he noticed that, oh—he didn’t mean that. Snickering with amusement, the Texan swung a thick arm around the Scout’s thin shoulders and gave him a shake, prodding his other forefinger against the boy’s chest.

“Naaaah Spah. Nah. This kid’s _aaalright._ ”

Scout steadied a hand on the table, sitting up a little straighter. “Yeah, what are you even—what are you even talkin’bout? I’m not, it ain’t, we’re just, it’s just like—“ the Scout started to babble.

“Yeah,” the Engineer nodded, agreeing to… whatever it was the Scout was saying. “Lay off tha boy fer a change.”

The Spy gave a soft snort and then began gathering up the playing cards which belonged to him while the Sniper raised an eyebrow and snickered at the entire display. Drunk kids and grumpy Spooks – it was grade A entertainment.

The records were being changed again, the Medic arguing with the Soldier over the next selection. From the way the German’s chest was puffing out, it was most likely going to be something classical next. Engineer didn’t mind, music was music was music.

“Y’shouldn’t drink so much ‘ough, son,” The Southerner reprimanded with a stern look… or as stern of a look as he could muster. His vision was a little hazy himself. But he still meant it! “Know how you git… ‘n such.”

“Naw, I dunno what ya talkin’ bout,” he grinned, staring up at him through heavy lashes. 

“Though,” Scout’s hand slipped from the table suddenly and Scout stumbled against him, lucky not to fall right off his chair. He was still grinning though as that hand found its way back to the older man’s thigh. The boy’s words were hot against his collar as he spoke. “But I mean, if ya think, mh, I’m too drunk or somethin’… maybe ya should… carry me upstairs to my room and, y’know…”

Right as the classical music started up (yep, it seemed as though the Doc had won), the Engineer was snickering and trying to ease up onto his feet, though it wasn’t the easiest thing he’d ever done. Sitting had been right comfortable, and now his momentum was all over the damn place.

Scout had only had one beer though, right? Poor kid, he really was a lightweight—took the Engineer four to get to this state.

“Ah don’t think… -- _woo_ , think I can be doin’ much _carryin’_ at all, String Bean,” he replied with a lopsided smile, rubbing at his neck before he gathered up his hardhat and the paper treasures inside it.

Suddenly there was an arm around him as the Scout shifted from chair to the Engineer, wobbling against him, “S’okay, y’can just walk…”

“But ah don’t—“

Engineer didn’t exactly want to leave the party just yet; it was just gettin’ good! And he still hadn’t done a single line dance! Course, now with the classical music in the air, that chance was all but dust in the wind, unless he wanted to try and step to the beat of… whatever this was. Didn’t sound like Bach or Haydn or Wagner… probably a German composer. Was a nice tune, but… nope. Not good for dancin’.

But in any case, he was getting’ turned around here. Damnit, he was too short to be used as some sort of cane! Though… wait, canes _were_ shorter than the people usin’ ‘em. Hm, somethin’ to think about.

“Alright, alright… Ah’m movin’ this,” he called out, giving the Scout’s back a pat and slowly but surely making his way out. He had to _very_ carefully step over the Demoman who was already sprawled out and snoring on the floor, but he managed to do so without stepping on anything important.

No one paid them much mind as they shuffled out the door. Engineer missed the Sniper’s raised eyebrows, and whatever it was the Spy had muttered into his ear.


	9. Wanted it so

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scout takes the Engie back to his room for a serious discussion ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Scout guided the other man down the hallway, or rather, they guided each other. Each of them drunkenly stumbling down the hall.

“Hey,” came the voice from beside him, “mm I wus thinkin’…”

Hell, had this hallway always been so damn _wide_? he wanted to lean against the wall for support but it just seemed the closer he got, the farther it went. Or maybe he was going in the other direction… hell, he needed to sit down.

“M’hmm…?”

Suddenly they were standing in front of Scout’s room. The boy unhooked his arm from around the Engineer to fumble with the door knob. Eventually he got it open and stumbled inside. The Engineer smiled as the Scout wandered off, and he just the door frame as support – was nice to lean against something that wasn’t also staggering around like the ground was shaking.

Scout let out a heavy exhale as he moved to his bed and slumped into the mattress. After a moment, he sat up on his elbows, licked his lips and grinned lazily at him. “I was, wus like, thinkin’… think… uh, think… in… that you should c’mere and then… we can do som… somethink, reeeeeal, nice…”

The Engineer was about to consider this a job well done and get back to the festivities, but then the Scout’s words caught him off guard and – he suddenly had no other plans. Only curiousity.

“Oh yeah? S’at right…” he grinned as he moved inside properly, leaning back against the door until it clicked closed. Then once the ground stopped lurching, he crossed the short distance and sat—well, flopped down beside the Scout, a bubbling snicker of amusement in his throat at the action. 

“Heh, _real nice_ , huh…?”

A pair of arms looped around his neck and drew him in, fingers rubbing over the base of his neck as the Scout smeared his grin against the Engineer’s cheek. “Yeah, like, _real_ fuckin’ nice…”

And then Scout was kissing him, his mouth open and pressed against his, not desperate or feverish, just enjoying him.

Oh, hello.

The Engineer grinned against that sudden kiss, his weight tipping back a bit, letting the boy unfold a little bit more against him. Well, he was right; that _was_ real nice, both his lips _and_ his hands. Muffling a deep, guttural sound, the man dropped one of his hands onto the Scout’s leg, squeezing the cloth-covered muscle as his lips struggled to keep up with the clumsy movements. His aim was off, but so was the kid’s so there wasn’t much blame to be thrown around.

He liked it though. Yessir, ‘real fuckin’ nice’.

The Scout fisted the collar of Engineer’s buttonup and dragged him sideways into the mattress with him, breathing out a soft ‘oomph’ into his mouth but not breaking that easy kiss. The Engineer hadn’t expected his momentum to shift, and when his body thumped against the Scout’s, he grunted into his mouth and pulled back, hands dragging along with sheets to find a good enough place to push himself up. But his arms were still useless and he only got up a few inches before slumping back down on top of the boy, slurring his words in a confused apology.

“Ahh didn’t mean t’fall on ya, sorry ah--- _kkkh_ …” but suddenly, he found it hilarious. Again. His shoulders started shaking first before the snickering bubbled out of him and he buried his face in the boy’s neck, just shaking his head and trying to muffle that case of Church Giggles as best as he could.

But then Scout started sniggering too and it was all over. The boy writhed underneath him, body shaking as he laughed. “Ooph, You’re wicked drunk, ain’tya? Worse than a’buncha freakin’ school girls.”

“Tsh… school girls shouldn’t be _drinkin’_ ‘nyway,” he huffed, his laughter sobering up some. Frankly, he was comfortable all over again, though his goggles had slipped into the crook of his neck and were pinching his skin a little. And… shit, where was his hardhat? With his paper winnings! He must have either left it in the lounge or dropped it on the way. Damnit.

“Yeah, well, I’m startin’ta think that maybe you shouldn’t be drinkin’, cus you’re gettin’ all funny… and heavy… God, you’re fuckin’ heavy as shit, man.” Scout wedged his hands against the older man’s chest giving a weak show of trying to shove him off.

“Sorry par’nur…” he breathed, giving a strained grunt as if it was actually difficult for him to roll over, expelling a deep sigh as soon as he hit his back, crammed between the Scout’s body and the wall.

He stretched an arm up over his head and felt along the pillows he found lying higher up, his tongue feeling dry and thick as he rubbed it over the ridges on the roof of his mouth. Another drink; yeah, he needed one of those.

“I need t’work out… Yeah, I’ll start workin’ out… dun’ wanna crush ya, Jimbo.”

“Nah, you’re…” The boy rolled over to face him, with his head tucked against his arm. 

“You’re all right, sa’long as you ain’t sittin’ on top’a me or nothin’.” Scout ran a hand down the Engineer’s chest, moving to graze his fingertips across that belly as if proving a point. “Hey, Jimbo, huh? We down’ta cute nicknames now, _Dellford_?” 

“ _Shit_ ,” Engineer groaned, physically wincing as he turned his head away from the Scout, as if that could somehow shy himself away from the blow of hearing his proper name. It completely countered how good the boy’s hand was feeling against his damn stomach, too. Damn damn damn.

“Dun call me ‘at… even my _Ma_ figured it wasn’t fittin’ by t’time I wus ‘bout seven ‘r so…” It also didn’t help that all of the other kids in Bee Cave gave him a hard time for it.

The Scout just smirked at him, continuing to run his hand over the Engineer’s paunch. “Yeah? I danno, I think it’s kinda cute. Dell ‘s’cool too though. Can I call’ya that? _Dell_. Woah. Weird.”

That name was breathed out and Scout grinned madly as if he’d said something dirty. The Engineer blinked and idly fiddled with his goggles, letting them drop in front of his neck instead of having them crammed against the side and underneath. His face was feelin’ real warm, and not just from all that beer either. Beer could get him drunk, but _not_ blushin’, aside from gettin’ a little ruddy right across the bridge of his nose. Anyway…

“Yeah… y’can call me that,” he answered back after a moment, a similar grin on his own face because it was contagious. Like they were both sittin’ around doing something dirty.

\-- _oh_. Wait. Yeah.

He felt himself relaxing and he reached down to fumble for and take the Scout’s thin wrist, tucking the boy’s hand inside his overalls from the slouch of fabric on the side. Mmm, there… his hand felt much better with just a shirt between ‘em. Scout spread his palm with an exhale.

“ _Dell…_.” He breathed out again, licking his lips like he wanted to savour the taste of that name on his tongue. “Mh, _Dell…_ ”

Oh, sweet Jesus. Engineer felt heat pooling down between his legs faster than a sentry reload. The kid shouldn’t be saying his name like that. No, hell no, it was too damn much. Powerful stuff. And the worst part was that he didn’t even know if the Scout realised it.

The room was spinning as he tried to pull himself out of his daze—and Lord he had to keep himself from groaning—though, hell, he didn’t have an ounce of self-control at the moment and it slipped out anyway, his short spine giving a little arch as the sound of his name assaulted his ear so nicely.

“G’dam nit…” he gasped, his adam’s apple bobing as he worked down a swallow. “Don’t e’en… nnh, know what yer _doin’_ t’me…”

But if the boy was aware of it, he didn’t seem to care. His lashes flickered against the Engineer’s cheek, hand rubbing circles into the older man’s stomach while he whispered those hot, secretive words against the other man’s cheek.

“ _Dell_.” Scout’s nose traced his prickly jawline, the name coming out as a puff of breath against the corner of his mouth, tongue darting out to catch his lips as he punctuated the single syllable. “ _Dell._ ”

He felt, well… surreal. Like he wasn’t the Engineer anymore. Just Dell. Not the damn title that had been defining him for so long, he was just an admittedly very drunk man enjoying the sound of his name coming from a young and husky voice and an eager to please hand on his stomach. They were simple, wonderful little pleasures and it felt far too long since he’d been able to revel in them, it seemed.

Were he a little soberer to truly appreciate the moment, he might’ve even gotten a bit sentimental over the whole thing. As it was, though, he just felt heat in his veins and it was flowing southward by the second. He was panting before he knew it and it was flowing southward by the second. He was panting before he knew it and he reached over to grasp one of Scout’s thighs in a tight grip, his eyes closed and his head reared back.

He heard his name again, like a mantra, like a prayer. A rasp caught between teeth. 

Scout’s hand was travelling down, slipping low enough to just brush his fingers over the head of the arousal caught in the front of those overalls. The subtle touch to his groin made the Engineer moan outright, the sound coming out strained behind his gritted teeth. The boy’s body arched, mouth razing over his, not yet kissing him but close enough that the Engineer could taste the drink on every exhale of breath.

He was thinkin’ too much. He needed to just… _impulse_. That was much easier.

And at the moment, it was pointing him in one very stern, clear direction.

Breathing out against Scout’s lips, it was damn difficult not to just kiss him for all he was worth. But the words were spilling out too fast to let himself be distracted with a little liplockin’. 

“S-shit, son… I wanna… we need’ta… _mmmph_ , have sex _right nao_ …”

“Sure,” the Scout swallowed the Engineer’s breath caught between their lips as the younger man surged forward and kissed him.

Good. Good. He’d said okay. That was all the permission he needed, right? But wait, was this gonna turn around on him in the middle? Was Scout going to change his mind? Was—damn, this kid knew how to kiss.

All thoughts aside, the Engineer wrapped his arms around the boy’s shoulders and pulled him closer, waiting until that thin frame loomed over him before one hand diverted to stuff itself underneath the waist of his pants, going straight for a handful of the Scout’s ass.

It felt good to turn the ol’ logic off, and he hoped that he would remember in the morning that beer was the equivalent of an on-off switch. He found that he couldn’t tear away from the Scout’s lips, even if he tried, so he did his best to juggle toying with the boy’s tongue and squeeze the tight muscle under his palm. They weren’t gonna get anywhere with as much clothes on as they did, however. That needed to change real quick.

And so with his other hand, he fumbled between them, biting on the Scout’s bottom lip while his fingers jerked and tugged and tried to do away with those pants. Scout helped. Or hindered. It was hard to tell with the frenetic pace of his hands scrambling about. Nevertheless, those pants came down, dragged along with his underwear. Then his shoes, with a rather tricky manoeuvre; kicked off somewhere. His socks were a different story but Scout didn’t seem to have the mind to care, as he arched his hot, lean body up against the weight of the older man.

The Engineer squirmed around and propped himself up on one elbow, having to forgot the delicious grip on the boy’s ass in order to pluck at the strap fastenings on his overalls. Seriously, seriously now, he needed to start wearing somethin’ more casual when not out on the battlefield. A good pair of overalls had a million uses, but getting’ out of them quickly was _not_ one of them.

He needed to breathe, though. And he pulled away from the Scout's mouth with a reluctant groan so that he could inhale, his gut bumping up against what he was certain was the Scout’s erection as he did so.

Alright, alright, whew. Thought. Thinkin’. Before he completely lost himself again.

“Y’… uh, y’got anythin’ in here..? That we c’n _use_ , I mean?”

“Mmph…Wha’foah? … _Oh_. Uh.” Scout flushed, some of that brazen confidence draining out of him. “U-uh, hang on, I think… I uh…”

Scout unhooked himself from the older man and rolled onto his knees, crawling over to his nightstand to dig around in the drawer there. Engineer sat up when Scout left him, trying not to embarrass himself and get out of his overalls as quickly as possible. His boots were kicked off first before the denim went, leaving in his boxers, shirt and socks. But that was already a helluva lot more comfortable, and he didn’t have to slouch there with his damn puddy gut hanging out while the Scout was zipping around all lean and skinny and… _shit_.

A couple of baseball magazines toppled to the floor as Scout dug out a half-spent jar of Vaseline buried beneath them. The bed creaked as he crawled back to the other man and pressed the tub into the older man’s hands.

“I uh, it’s for, y’know, my guns and stuff sometimes…” the Scout stuttered out.

“…Y’put _this_ on yer—“ Oh, well the obvious ‘he’s covering his ass’ realisation hit him a little late and he just snickered, taking the jar with a grateful nod. “Heh… yeah, good job there. This’ll work…”

Scout rubbed his fingers over his slim thighs as he sat back against the head board of his bed, knees lifted up towards his chest and legs slightly apart. The blinds of the window by the bed were slightly open, and moonlight crept in through from between the slats, narrow rays of dim light falling across the Scout’s skin. Those pale blue eyes were burning wide.

“So, uh… is this… is this okay, or what?”

“Yeah, yeah,” the Engineer swallowed down a thick lump in his throat, nodding before Scout even finished his question, practically agape at the opportunity (not to mention the sight) he was presented with. 

He clamoured out of his boxers first before dragging himself closer to the boy, right before him where he had to force those long legs a little further apart to accommodate his own knees. He sat back on his heels, his tongue poking from the corner of his mouth as he twisted the cap of the Vaseline off and set it aside, dipping two fingers in to shovel out a small amount of the nearly transparent petroleum jelly.

Shit. Alright, alright…

“You… ain’t done this b’fore, right?” he asked a bit hastily, a pant in his breathing and a dark stain across his face.

“ _No_ ,” Scout stuttered out a little _too_ quickly, staring at the Engineer’s thick, flushed length jutting out. “Whatd’ya think I am? Some kinda…”

He stiffened a little and when his eyes flicked up from his cock to the older man’s fingers coated in that thick jelly, the Engineer thought he saw the boy’s knees twitch open a little more. “That’s… okay, right? Y’ain’t gonna… ya know, stop. Right?”

The Engineer slumped forward to rest his temple against the Scout’s collarbone, muffling a chuckle and rubbing his fingers together to feel the slick Vaseline on them. Yeah, that’d make this much easier – though he didn’t know how the Scout would handle it. If he’d like it, or he’d go jumpin’ into hysterics.

“S’kinda cold,” he breathed, and his palm turned upward and shifted closer to cup his palm between the Scout’s legs. His slicked fingertips probed carefully, if not a bit clumsily, nudging here and there between the soft muscles of the boy’s ass before finding that tight cinch of muscle.

“Oh G-God, that’s… this… is frickin’ weird…” Scout exhaled, hands gripping his legs so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

It was a little more difficult to focus than he would have liked—maybe taking this step while he was drunk wasn’t the best idea. But he sure as hell wasn’t going to let himself stop. No fuckin’ way. So the Engineer just tipped his head up and let his tongue drag out along the side of the Scout’s thin throat, thinking back on the way he’d been groaning his name and driving him wild. Was only fair to return the gesture of satisfaction, weren’t it?

He rolled his middle finger into place and then slowly pushed upward, feeling the muscle give way to the lubricated digit. He didn’t take advantage of it, though; didn’t plow it inside just yet. He only let it sink in, slowly, to the first knuckle and then he paused, letting that sensation sink it.

Scout let out a shaky breath, his hands clamping around the muscles of his upper arms and holding him there. His cock strained up, a come beading at the tip and he raked across his belly. That was perfect. No objections and no rushing. Engineer sighed almost with relief and drew his finger out before beginning a slow rhythm of pumping it in and out. He didn’t use any more strength than necessary, but he made sure to push it in a bit further each time. When he finally hit the base of his knuckles he crooked the digit to rub the slick walls squeezing around it, murmuring and kissing along the Scout’s jaw as he did so.

“How’sat feelin’…”

A palm on the older man’s cheek tilted his face up so that Scout could press his lips to the other man’s. “It’s um, it’s okay… Kinda… kinda strange.”

“S’gonna be fine,” he assured him, his lips still tingling from that light contact. He couldn’t help himself from giving the boy a few more swift kisses, but then he eased back in order to glance down. The view was limited, but he could definitely see enough.

“Gonna add another one now,” came his next reply, as a gentle of a warning as he could muster. Drawing the middle digit out, he pressed his forefinger up alongside it and carefully repeated the same process of before, only now giving a slight twist as he nudged the two fingertips up into that ring of muscle and onward.

“O-ow, fuckk.” Scout breathed out through clenched teeth, ass clamping up around the intrusion.

Instinctively, and he was a little ashamed to admit it, he didn’t care much that the Scout didn’t seem to be enjoying it. He almost wanted to thrust his hand in harder, growl something uncaring at him, but how much hard and patient work would _that_ erase? He couldn’t let the throbbing between his legs and the alcohol in his system get the better of him, regardless of how easy it would have been.

So instead he just slowed the motions, drawing the two digits out and just tracing the larger one against the puckered muscle while his attention shifted up from the works of his hand to the boy’s face. “Would’ja rather do it yerself?”

Engineer watched a dark blush spread across the boy’s cheeks as he nodded, “Y-yeah, alright. I mean, would ya look at the size’a ya fingers? I mean, they’re just…”

His hands slid around his thighs, his own slimmer digits running against that slickened hole tentatively. His fingers bumped against the Engineer’s and his other hand came down to hold the older man’s hand there against his ass while his pushed his own finger inside of him with a quiet gasp.

“S-ssorry,” Scout slurred, “this is kinda new t’me. I ain’t normally… yanno.”

“Yeah, I know,” Engineer replied in a murmur, his palm shifting over to grip the firm muscle of a pale and creamy cheek while he watched the Scout’s slim hand between them. “Jus’ go nice ‘n easy, now…”

“Yeah, a’ight. I got it.” Scout huffed a quiet breath, already working that finger in and out of him. 

Another digit soon joined the first, the lube smeared across his asshole seeming to make the next nudge inside that much more bearable. The boy took his time though, stretching himself open with that first finger before the second slowly, _slowly_ inched its way inside of him. And then Scout curled his fingers inside of him as he fingered himself, a hand moving up to wind around his cock to jerk it slowly. 

Engineer wet his lips and decided that watching the Scout may not be the best course of action – it only took one faint, wavering urge to just grab the boy, hold him down and take him, to tell him that. So instead he sought out the little jar of Vaseline, re-dipping his fingers and then using them to slick up his own cock.

Three fingers and the Scout was wincing, but he wasn’t taking his time anymore. Those digits were wedged inside of him, and his hips were tilted up, all but fucking himself on them.

“Je-Jesus, okay… C’mon. Dell. Please.” Scout panted out, stretching those fingers inside of him one last time before dragging them out, wiping the excess Vaseline against his thigh.

He was nodding before the Scout could even finish, releasing his slicked cock in order to hook his hands underneath the boy’s calves to momentarily lift his legs up. This was so that he could scoot closer, as close as he could until his knees hit the headboard and he had to stop. Then Scout’s legs were put back down, spread wide to accommodate him, and he went about more important things- pinning the boy’s shaft to his stomach with one hand so that he could see a bit better as his other hand carefully positioned the head of his ready erection right against that lubricated hole.

He was still a mite bigger in width than three of Scout’s skinny ol’ fingers, but he wasn’t gonna turn down the option to get on with it.

“Pick yerself up a lil’ so I can get at’cha.”

Scout lifted his hips up, and the Engineer took one of the boy’s arms and lifted it so that is elbow could prop against the top of the headboard for leverage. He’d practically have to both straddle and sit atop the Engineer’s thighs to get this angle to work, but he was personally more than comfortable with that. 

The Engineer just barely lifted his weight up off from sitting on his heels, pushing up from where he was angled and ready—the head of his cock nudged and nudged until that stretched entrance gave way to him and he was able to sink inside that slick, tight heat that was all enveloping and too tight all at once. But it was good, it was so good.

Scout’s body jerked up on top of him, one hand gripping the headboard while the other dug fingers in the back of the older man’s neck. But he was quiet, aside from a few sparse grunts and whimpers, and the Engineer felt a warmth spreading inside of him as he looked at the boy. 

Engineer closed his eyes to the sight for a moment, just focusing and revelling in the sensation as much as he was able to. He could feel the Scout moving, his hips rocking on his length, but he didn’t press in further just yet, just sliding both hands down that long, slim torso and grasping the boy’s pelvis in a sure grip.

And then finally Scout began to move. His hand tightened its hold on the Engineer, using him as leverage as he began to work his hips up and down, slowly at first, just inching that length in and out of him. The Engineer’s mouth fell open and he found himself completely breathless as the boy began to move. It didn’t do much more than roll the pressure that was already squeezing him around, but even that was amazing. 

Maybe because he’d been waiting for so long—he thought back to when he’d been thrusting himself between the Scout’s thighs, wishing it was something else. Worth the wait, though. Definitely worth the wait.

But now that the shock and hopefully the pain had seemed to ebb from the boy’s body, he rocked up onto his kneecaps, rocking himself up and wedging just a bit more of himself into that tight heat. He kissed down the side of his throat a bit clumsily, biting lightly on his collarbone when he’d reached the base. One of his hands moved to the small of the boy’s back, fingertips digging into the muscle and keeping him angled good and close.

The boy continued to move, breathing out the Engineer’s name; just quiet little hitches of breath pressed into the older man’s neck as he rode that thick width, lifting his hips up only to push them back down. “O-oh, God, yeah… E-Engie, Dell… Fuckkk…”

“Mm… yeah, y’like that boy?” he huffed through pants of breath, using his grip to pull the Scout down against himself—anything to encourage him to move more. And he didn’t want him doing all the work himself, of course; that’d just be rude. So when he felt the need, he thrust up sharply, meeting the drop of the boy’s hips and growling from the loud smack of their bodies together.

“So tight… nnh, yessir…”

“F-fuck!” Scout moaned and his ass tightened around the Engineer’s cock. His hips began to buck as he became frantic, trying to work his frenzied movements into a rhythm but unable to do much more than bounce in the older man’s lap.

“Yeah, oh f-fuck, come on, fuck me. Oh fffuck, Dell, ngh.”

He was sweating up a storm. The Engineer tipped his head back and swiped a forearm over his brow. It was hard to think, but he didn’t know if he could blame the booze or not. He didn’t want it to get the better of him, though; the last thing he needed was to completely lose himself and go overboard. However, the boy seemed to be doing everything in his power to _get_ him to that point, what with the way he was moving so eagerly and really just _beggin’_ for it.

But still, he needed to keep it together. And so he gave himself a task to focus on, shoving one of his large hands between the two of them to grasp onto the Scout’s cock and pump at it in alternating time to their mindless rocking and bouncing. His other arm tighted ‘round his waist, fingertips digging into his skin enough to leave purple bruises by the time he was done.

“Yeah, jus’… keep it up…”

Scout groaned in response, his body hot and shaking all over and that dirty, little mouth wouldn’t stop _begging_ for it. Like being taken this way was all the Scout had ever needed. Like Engineer was the only one who could give it to him.

The Engineer’s thighs were aching from absorbing all of that bouncing weight, but the burn it was leaving was nothing short of fantastic. When the Scout’s lips pressed, or rather… _smeared_ against his cheek he chuckled breathlessly and gave his jaw a quick bite before he focused on jerking the boy off and thrusting up into him; harder, faster, fucking him good and deep. His stomach was growing tighter but he wanted to make it last.

"O-oh! Fuck! Dell, _mmh!_ ”

Scout, who had no understanding of either patience or restraint, slammed down suddenly, hips spasming as he bit down hard on the length of the Engineer’s neck and came. The boy’s muscles tensed, unbearably tight, his ass squeezing down around the cock that was still fucking him while hot spurts of come splashed between them. The Scout’s insides seemed to tense up long before his cock, and when he finally felt that shaft stiffening in his hand he just continued to pump it, milking out everything he had. And it seemed that the same generous offer was given to him from the way the boy continued to move against him, sheathing himself over and over and creating the most delicious friction.

“Ah… J-Jimmy…” groaning out the kid’s name seemed to do it for him; his body tensed up and he picked himself up onto his knees and off his heels, hefting that jumping weight up as if it were nothing. Both arms twisted round his waist and he thrust in hard, teeth gritting together as the heat inside him burst out and he filled the boy’s hot, spasming tunnel with white hot ropes of tangible exhaustion.

“J-Jesus, Dell… ngh…” Scout panted out, looking hazily up at him, his softening prick squeezing out a few last drops of come before he slumped forward against him. He wound his arms around the Engineer’s shoulders and bent down to catch his mouth flush against his own in a kiss.

Engineer’s body was on autopilot, lazily returning that kiss and biting and sucking on the boy’s lips and tongue while panting for breath through his nose. He hated feeling his age after sex, but it always came up, rearing its ugly middle-aged head and kicking him in the ass. But that was alright; everything was worth it.

“Ngh, hang on,” he muttered finally, and with a grunt he lifted the Scout off his spent cock, allowing him to flop onto his back and stretch his arms out before his bunched muscles decided to lock up on him.

Lord Almighty… The Engineer sighed heavily and rubbed at his face, waiting for the room to stop spinin’ before he sat up on his elbows, giving the boy a nudge with his knee. 

“…y’alright?”

Scout looked up at him from where he was grimacing at the release that had leaked down the back of his thighs. He quickly wiped his fingers on his thigh and shook his head. “Yeah, I’m cool.”

Scout let out another grunt before settling down beside the older man, flashing him a lopsided grin. “Fuckin’ beat.”

“Heh, I bet…” He smiled and reached over to tug the boy a bit closer to himself, managing to get one of his arms underneath his shoulders. Yeah, that was a lot more comfortable. Even if they were laying upside down and his feet were crammed against the bed’s headboard. “Did real good, son…”

Scout shifted against Engineer, cheek resting against his shoulder while one of his legs stretched out over the other man’s. This felt perfect with that warm body against his. Just skin on skin. “Yeah, well. I am kinda amazing… I mean, not that I ever did nothin’ like that b‘foah, but uh… I’m just sayin’ thanks, I think. I mean, you were pretty okay too. Well, more than just _okay_.”

Engineer’s eyes closed and he chuckled, just giving a nod before he tipped his head back to rest his chin against the boy’s brow. “I got’cha…”

That was a right nice compliment, too. Comin’ from Scout, anyway. He gently squeezed his shoulder, thumb, easing back and forth over the warm, sweat-slicked skin, just enjoying the fact that they could both lay down and relax to catch their breath—with neither of them suddenly freaking out about it, in short.

A quiet laugh was breathed out against Engineer’s shoulder, and the Engineer felt the boy’s lashes against his skin. They both lay there, just simply breathing for a moment before Scout interrupted the silence, “I mean… you’re… I think you’re really okay.”

He felt the urge to just pull the Scout ontop of himself and cuddle him properly, but he knew the boy would just take it the wrong way, or at least make some comment about it. Nah, those kinds of things were best left uninitiated on his end. 

“Oh? Well now, s’awful nice of ya t’say,” he muttered, patting his hand against Scout’s arm.

“Yeah, well. Dun mention it.” Scout shrugged, folding an arm behind his head.

“Wonder if I should get back to the git-t’gether,” he wondered aloud after a while, though he made no move to get up. Aside from lifting his head and peering down at the Scout, anyway. “I was jus’ supposed t’be takin’ you t’yer room, after all…” Of course, by now, the party was the last thing he wanted to do. If he absolutely had to leave, he’d prefer to just take a quick shower and then go to bed.

“Y’don’t have to leave if ya don’t wanna. I mean… ya been gone for so long it’ll probably be weird if ya go back. Cus uh, y’know.”

He blinked, surprised by the Scout’s response, but it had him just about grinnin’ and he rolled over onto his side to face him. In all honesty, maybe he was just looking for this-- for a reason to stick around. 

“…a’ight. I’ll stay.”

He leaned in a bit to set a gentle kiss against the boy’s lips, and then he rested right there, good and close. A relaxed murmur escaped his throat and he slid a hand along the back of the boy’s head, thick fingertips brushing through his short hair.

“You got an alarm clock in here,” he asked, not even bothering to move away enough to keep his lips from rubbing up against the boy’s as he spoke. “Gonna need t’get myself up early if I’m gonna be sneakin’ out…”

Scout gestured vaguely behind him, stifling a yawn. “On the night table… Don’t think it’s set or nuttin’ though. I never use it. Always wake up at th’same time.”

“Mn.” He nodded, making a note of that. He didn’t want to get up to set the alarm, though… ugh, c’mon Dell. Don’t let the procrastination bug bite’cha while yer down. In the end, he grunted and pulled away, rolling over to the edge of the bed to sit up and fumble for the little clock. From the light sheen of dust on top of the buttons, what the Scout had said about never using the damn thing seemed to be accurate.

He held down the alarm button and then started hitting the hour button to find… eh, five o’clock. Then the minutes which he wanted all the way to forty-five, damnit. He felt the boy’s arms around him, and his mouth grazing over his hip. It was a little hard to focus, what with that warm hold and those lips—damn, _what_ was he doing again? 

The Engineer lifted the clock up to glance beneath it, peering back at the Scout and chuckling. “Can I help you?”

The Scout flashed him a sleepy grin, turning his half-liddded gaze up to him, still brushing his mouth of his skin. “Sorry. Still kinda drunk, I think… but y’could help by getting’ back down here. Maybe bring a pillow while you’re at it.”

“Oh, a pill’a.” He nodded and finished up with the alarm clock, checking the volume to make sure he wouldn’t go sleeping through it before he reached toward the head of the bed. “I’ll get’cha one…” A thick case was grabbed, but instead of simply handing it over he—whack—dropped it on top of his head. “ ‘ere ya go!”

Now he might’ve complained if he were more awake, but things being what they were, he merely grunted, lying there with that weight over his face. “Sometimes ya such a jerk.” With an exaggerated groan, he grabbed the pillow and tucked it behind his head, giving the Engineer a jab in the ribs as he did so.

Engineer snickered, batting off the Scout’s hand before he moved to climb back onto the bed properly, easing himself over the boy so that he could rest between him and the wall. “Yeah, yeah, I know it.”

He pressed a soft kiss to the Scout’s head and then relaxed, idly rubbing his hand down to the small of that long back. He could tell how dog tired the boy was, and he was damn ready for some shut-eye as well. “Get some sleep, a’ight..?”

There was a tired mumble from beside him and soon there was nothing but the sound of quiet breathing. As carefully as he could, he reached down to grab the blanket tangled around their feet to pull it up over them both before settling down with a sigh. As he watched the gentle rise and fall of the Scout’s chest, barely in the dim light coming in from the window, he felt…

He felt... something warm settling in his chest. He felt like… everything was jus' the way it should be.


	10. Just The Other Side Of Nowhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another morning after.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

“Nghhh…”

The Engineer groaned, slapping his hand out until it smacked against a hard source and the sound died. This wasn’t his room – he could tell that right away. The second thing he realised was that his head was throbbing, his eyes were pounding, his mouth felt as if it were full of sand, and his stomach was soured.

He rolled onto his side to shove his head back into the soft pillow underneath him, but he bumped into somethin’. Somethin’ that was breathing.

\--ooh. Oh, right. Engineer opened one eye blearily, watching the sleeping form of the Scout. He remembred why he’d set the alarm now; to get out of there before anyone was up and atom to see him comin’ out of the boy’s room. But… weren’t no reason he had to leave just yet. He slung an arm around the Scout’s body and settled back down.

For a moment, the Engineer felt like he was going to throw up. But he just centred himself, took a few deep breaths, and waited for it to pass. Pukin’ in the boy’s room wouldn’t exactly get him a free ticket to hang around, after all. He could feel the boy stir, eyelashes fluttering against the skin of his shoulder as he curled closer. The Scout’s nose was cold as it pushed into his chest, reminding him that they were both naked as the day they were born.

A light frown tugged at his mouth, and he lifted a hand to lightly pat the back of the boy’s head.

“Nh…” the boy groaned beside him. Slowly, those eyes slid open and he jerked upright. “F-fuck. Woah. Uh…”

Scout’s hand clamped down over his forehead; the Engineer hadn’t expected the boy to spring up so fast. At first, he thought he was going to make a run for it or somethin’ – maybe to throw up, but then he heard Scout groan and sink back down beside him, and he could only chuckle. He pressed up against his back once more.

“Doin’ alright?” he asked. Still felt a little uneasy though; something settled in the pit of his gut, grabbing hold of him and he was unable to shake the feeling loose.

A good, strong cup of coffee sounded good right about now, along with a hot shower and a date with his dispenser. But at the same time, he wasn’t making any moves to go and get started on that to-do list. Beside him, Scout groaned again, yanking the pillow out from behind his head only to pull it down over his face, his reply muffled behind it.

“Everythin’ … everythin’ hurts.” At least he wasn’t running from him. Not that he seemed’ta be in any shape to do so. The boy pulled the pillow down tighter. “Ugh, kill me already.”

Engineer smirked, setting his hand on the boy’s thin hip and giving it a light pat. “Oh, quiet now. You’ll be jus’ fine. No need to go dyin’ or nothin’ like that.”

The skin under his hand seemed to tense up but he ignored it; palm smoothing over that skin. His next thought was wondering if Scout had any medicine in here. He remembered that first night they’d gotten drunk out by the trust; he’d told Scout to fetch some aspirin from Medic. But… that time felt like a whole world away now. His fingers brushed over the boy’s hipbone as he allowed himself to indulge in that memory a little longer.

But Scout was here now; Jimmy. Warm and real.

“You uh… y’want I should get’cha somethin’?” 

Scout groaned again in response. “Water, maybe. My head feels like it’s fallin’ out through my ears right now.”

He didn’t want to. Dagnabbit, he really didn’t want to. He wanted to sleep his own hangover off, but regardless he found himself crawling out of the bed, not bothering to hide the strained grunts and huffs that revealed more about his age than he would’ve liked.

“I’ll see what I c’n do.”

Now where the hell were his britches...?

 The _real_ awful part about this was that he had to get completely dressed. He couldn’t risk being caught walking out of the Scout’s room in just his underwear, after all. Everything was done up nice ‘n proper, aside from tying his boots. Having all that blood rush to his skull while trying to do up a damn simple knot wasn’t exactly something he wanted to do, but at least he was able to get ready by simple reflex. He didn’t have to focus on it too hard, and before he knew it he was slipping out the door to get to work.

In the meantime, Scout had decided that his best of action was falling back asleep. Which he did with no trouble at all, not having the decency to even wait until the Engineer had left before he did so.

A few minutes later—well, naw, that was bein’ too kind—about twenty minutes later the Engineer knocked once quietly before the door cracked open and he slid inside. He’d forgone his goggles (and he still couldn’t see his darn hat anywhere), having stopped off at his room first before doing anything else.

He’d initially tried to lug his toolbox back to the Scout’s room to set up a dispenser unit, but when he thought about how his head would take to the loud clanging required to do that, he changed his mind. So instead he went through his own personal supply of medicine; he doubted the Doc was awake to give him somethin’ anyway.

Pills in hand, he made one more pit stop to get the boy some water, and that’d brought him back here.

“Y’up, boy?”

He wasn’t. Instead the boy was sprawled out underneath the sheet, pillow resting over his head. By now, sunlight was starting to trickle in from beneath the blinds, painting a nice warm glow across everything.

As he entered the room, a hand slid out from between the blanket to lazily gesture at the Engineer, before dropping back down. Well, he weren’t no babysitter, so he set the pill bottle and glass on the little nightstand before climbing back onto the bed, between the boy and the wall so that he could get to the medicine.

“Got yer stuff, take it when ya feel like it,” he muttered, letting out a comfortable groan as soon as his weight settled on the small bed.

They were just lying there, and he must’ve still been kind of drunk because all he wanted to do was touch the boy’s skin. Tuck him nice and close against himself and just relish in their combined warmth for just a little longer. He draped a loose arm over the boy’s slim waist and the younger man just grunted in response.

The Southerner chuckled. Of course, Scout wouldn’t just _listen_ to him, that’d be too easy. Make too much _sense_. But, nevertheless… this weren’t too bad neither. Still he was just fine ‘n dandy to take it easy, even though he knew that with every passing minute, he risked someone noticing he wasn’t in his room or, even worse, he was in the Scout’s.

He finally felt those muscles move, tensing up under the smooth expanse of skin as Scout’s eyes finally slid open and fixed his eyes on the older man beside him. He laughed suddenly and withdrew from him, his gaze flicking over to his bedside table to where that glass of water was. Engineer’s brows rose, wondering where the joke that came with that went.

As the boy sat up with another groan, the Engineer admired the view it brought. His back looked nice, especially the small peek of his ass as the sheets pooled around his waist… Ugh, but he felt too shitty to be thinkin’ like that… and he couldn’t help feelin’ that there was something strange diving them.

Scout pressed his palm over his mouth and swallowed the pills down with water, before screwing the lid back on the bottle and setting it down.

There was one spot on the boy’s back, where a couple of vertebrae protruded against his skin. He found himself staring at it, before one arm lazily shifted out so that he could run the back of a thick knuckle over those bumps in his spine.

“Don’t.”

Scout twisted back and caught the Engineer by the wrist, holding his gaze too long to be comfortable. He sucked in a quivering breath, and then the words were tumbling out of his mouth before he’d had the sense of mind to close it.

“Listen, I know ya probably confused and stuff just because we… Cus’ I let ya, _y’know_. And now you’re thinkin’ that this is more than what it is but it’s _not_ , so would ya just, stop? I’m grateful for the water or whatever but maybe you should just go.”

…What?

Engineer just stared at the boy a minute, before moving to sit up and pull his arm away.

Again, huh? It was happenin’ again. _Really_. The fuckin’…

“Well then.”

Clearing his throat and feeling like he was makin’ a mighty fine spectacle of himself, he climbed off the bed and adjusted himself, tucking a heel back into his boot where it’d slipped out.

“Sure know how t’make a man feel right _stupid_ ,” he muttered, grabbing the bottle of pills and untwisting the cap so that he could dump a couple of them on the nightstand, in case the Scout needed more later. Then the bottle was tucked into the deep pocket of his overalls and he left without another word.

He’d shut that door firmly, he knew it because he’d heard it, felt the bolt of the knob snap into its groove- but then no more than a couple of seconds later he heard it again. When he glanced back he was rather shocked to see Scout following after him in his own rendition of a toga, the blankets tucked around his narrow waist.

“Scout, the _hell’re_ you— _git_ back in there,” he ordered in a hushed down, jabbing a forefinger back to his room.

“Just wait a sec,” Scout shifted nervously, high points of colour on his cheeks, “I know I told ya to go and shit but could ya just… Fuck. I don’t know.” He eased a hand over his forehead.

Engineer nearly smacked a hand to his own face when a sliver of the Scout’s bare hip peeked into view, and he had to stop himself from lunging forward to tug it back up. Hell, that’d look even _worse_ to some passerby. Damnit.

“If yer gonna say shit ya don’t _mean_ , then why the hell d’ya go sayin’ it in the first place?”

“No, I mean… freakin’ hell, man.” The younger man chewed on the inside of his mouth, eyes darting back and forth down the empty hallway. “Y’gotta stop takin’ all of this stuff so personally. I jus’ meant it weren’t a good idea for ya to stay cus’a y’know.”

Taking things personally. Yeah, that was the problem. _Not_ the Scout’s fuckin’ mouth.

Rolling his eyes, the Engineer folded his arms across his chest, leaning his stout shoulder into the wall beside him. “I got that,” he muttered, glancing over his shoulder down the hall. “ ‘n that’s all ya would’a had to have said, son. Don’t need to always get so damn upset ‘n flip out on me jus’ cause ya get nervous. M’too old to deal with that immature shit, ‘n you should be too.”

“Give me a break, hardhat. This ain’t easy for me like it is for you.” Scout furrowed his brow, running his knuckles over his short buzzcut. “You know what you want. You know you’re like that. Y’aint runnin’ around doin’ stuff you ain’t even sure about with guys when you ain’t sure that you even want to be doin’ that shit in the first place. You got no fuckin’ idea what it’s like.”

Engineer snorted then, a dry chuckle leaving him. Wow, really? It was goin’ this route.

“Alright, Scout. Alright. Poor you. Ain’t no way I could _possibly_ understand that. S’that all ya wanted? Fer me t’acknowledge that? Well I did, so get back in your room ‘fore someone comes over ‘n thinks yer some no-good fag.”

He shot a hard glance toward the boy, then continued on his way. He wasn’t gonna stick around for this stupid nonsense.

“I ain’t the-!” He heard the boy start and then stop. “Geez, if that’s the way you wanna play it, whatever. I don’t need ya, didn’t ever need ya.”

It hurt more than he thought it would’a, even though the Texan always figured it would end this way. And maybe he was better off for it – better than all these damn ups and downs. One minute feelin’ as high as a damn kite only to have the rug pulled out from under him. Well he was sick of it. There was a limit to everything.

Still, he couldn’t help but cast one last, long look behind him… but by the time he’d looked back the hallway was already empty. Nothing but dust motes floating through the air, catching morning light.


End file.
